# People are Naturally Drawn to Social Media As per the [[Uses and Gratifications Theory]] in in mass communications, people consume media for one of several reasons, some of which are to reinforce their values and beliefs, affirm their identity, and fulfill their need for a sense of belonging to a community. In [[Echo Chambers]] people only encounters information or opinions that reflect and reinforce their own, and because [[Social Media Platforms Are Echo Chambers by Design]], social media platforms perfectly address the needs for reinforcing existing values and beliefs. By definition almost, social media platforms provide a sense of belonging to a community, which acts as an added bonus. Another factor is that social media platforms are designed to be addictive (see [[Social Media Algorithms Are Designed to Maximize Engagement]]), and because people are easily manipulated by reward mechanisms, it's easy for AI algorithms to provide content that users will be drawn to.