I strongly disagree. On the contrary, I see the arch of many technological advancements in that, in the beginning, they solve a crucial need, but then once they solve that problem they attempt to hijack the positive feedback systems of humans (e.g. addiction systems) to stay in power.

Consider the food industry. Many people were under pretty constant threat of starvation through much of human history. So in the 19th and 20th centuries we essentially solved that problem in the Western world with the modern food industry. But we didn't stop there. Once people had all they needed to eat, food companies had to figure out how to get them to eat more, and they were highly successful. Saying that much of modern food science is a net negative for humanity doesn't mean I think we should go back to being hunter gatherers, but at this point every new "innovation" in the industry is really just an attempt to try to get people to eat/drink more.

I think much of the modern Internet/Web has been on that "net negative" slide for at least the past 10 years. Are people at large to blame for this? In one sense, sure. But I have no problem laying the blame at tech leaders who are essentially in the role of drug dealers for much of the industry. I mean, sure, drug users are ultimately at fault too, but we look down pretty harshly at drug dealers for their role in the process.