If they were serious about starting somewhere, perhaps they could disable the engagement mechanisms that border on addictive pattern exploits.
They could easily identify people who are disenfranchised and seeking a sense of belonging in their platform. They could easily go back to reverting their feed to show real and positive updates from friends and family. Many of these people would probably re-engage in a more healthy way with the platform instead of constantly seeking outrage inducing feedback loops.
The main issue is that doing so would not only be ethical but it would also be less profitable and therein lies the main issue.
They could easily identify people who are disenfranchised and seeking a sense of belonging in their platform. They could easily go back to reverting their feed to show real and positive updates from friends and family. Many of these people would probably re-engage in a more healthy way with the platform instead of constantly seeking outrage inducing feedback loops.
The main issue is that doing so would not only be ethical but it would also be less profitable and therein lies the main issue.