The saying goes if you’re not the customer, you’re the product. Now, you’re both. Every big social media app is testing subscriptions. It's a business model that comes with a perverse incentive. Just like airlines, if you make life worse, more people will pay.
It’s beyond sad. And what’s even sadder is the junkie excuses people come up with to convince themselves that their use of corporate social media is justified and healthy. Just read a few of the replies to your post here. The one about asking for a woman’s Instagram made me laugh out loud. It’s so profoundly pathetic.