re: When Did Optics Become More Important Than Outcomes?

This has always been the case and was addressed multiple times in the Gospels.

However, it was absolutely turbo charged by social media in the early 2010’s as corporate HR departments started using social media to spy on potential and current employees off the clock and hold them accountable for their thoughts, words, and actions. This became progressive cancel culture. Next, social media accounts became monetized with revenues from streaming, ad sales, etc. Advertisers began tracking engagement like they did Nielsen ratings. People’s social media clout literally became currency.