A discussion I've bounced off several people is the distaste of "clout chasers" and "engagement farmers" online, and someone (I forgot who) said that all good Internet interactions eventually become the equivalent of an IRC chatroom. I take it a step further and say that *any* forum or gathering inevitably gets spoiled by parasocial connections, of which the only escape is a new or smaller community where actual human interaction can happen, which attracts people in, which then repeats the process all over again.
The important part here is the emphasis on parasocial connections. That is largely the crux of the issue, and why something like a dozen-man IRC channel is more beneficial to it's members than a major social media site. Paraoscial interactions are a net negative to both parties, as the "personalities" are often a shallow caricature of the actual user which is positively reinforced until they *become* that persona, and the followers become extremely susceptible to influences which are almost never beneficial to themselves. It's not that these are exclusive to parasocial interactions, but it is the only outcome of it, whereas mutual relationships have more obvious upsides. The only way to truly avoid it is to have anonymity, but that comes with it's own host of problems.
Anyway, it's just something I've been thinking about recently. I try to avoid thinking highly of people I don't know, and I am extremely hesitant about coming back to fedi for fear of creating this dynamic with others. I value comments a million times more than likes/reposts. I also value long/unusual/unpopular comments a hell of a lot more than consensus reinforcement, because it keeps me sane. If I see that disappear, I'll probably make my fedi vacation permanent, because I need to know if real humans are out there to make sure I'm still a real human, too.