This reminds me of Octavia Butler's book Survivor, which she hated and pulled from print. But she explores similar themes of alien sexuality later in Xenogenesis, to great acclaim.

We have to actually listen to them, even if their ideas are confusing or dumb.

Most Americans are kind of conservative. A lot of "centrists" really just hold a confusing mishmash of ideas from across the political spectrum. Most American voters are more conservative than you or I, we can't just pretend they're actually progressive.

I don't understand social media either, but I like your writings!

It shows up in the traces of agents that search the web, and those traces become training data

I thought there wasn't enough nitrogen and oxygen on Mars' surface to support an earth-like atmosphere. What does "greening" mean?

I've been there too. Video games can be low-key addictive. I wish I had a better answer for how to substitute for them. Kind of a crazy suggestion, but game development can be kind of like a healthier alternative to gaming.