Research and development: a series
To me, it’s entirely plausible that Facebook and Tencent might be net-negative for technological developments.
The apps they develop offer fun, productivity-dragging distractions; and
the companies pull smart kids from R&D-intensive fields like materials science
or semiconductor manufacturing, into ad optimization and game development.… These are fine companies, but in my view, the milestones of our technological civilization ought to be found in scientific and industrial achievements instead.
from Why is China smashing its tech industry?