Do you think social media algorithms push worse content on purpose?

I've noticed sometimes if I've taken a hiatus from a certain app, or switched accounts to one I haven't used in awhile, the recommendations in my feed tend to get weirdly good all of a sudden. Genuinely engaging, funny, and intriguing stuff.

This could just be confirmation bias, but then I started thinking about the Skinner Box effect and how certain things can paradoxically become more addictive the less rewards you get for them. Social media wants you to be addicted and to scroll for as long as possible, so you can see more ads. They know which posts get the most engagement and they keep careful track of which ones you personally responded best to. So wouldn't it make sense for them to front-load all the best content to "hook" you in the beginning, but then slowly and strategically make your feed more boring so you have to scroll longer and longer to get the next proper dopamine hit?

That would just explain so much... and after thinking about it, I'd honestly be surprised if they didn't do that, given their business model and how much engagement data they collect on everyone.