However, with the recent news about China cutting down on social-media consumption, it occurred to me that tech might not have much influence on our lives like these other industry has (even less than Big Media).
How are you guys viewing this?
Big Oil exploits our society's need to transport essential goods and to enable commuting to and from work. If you don't work, you don't eat and thus you die.
Big Tech - aka social media / advertising - exploits our need to be connect with other people and to be "respected".
If you consider Maslow's Pyramid, Big Tech is always going to play a lesser role than the other two.
NB it's "little tech" that actually enables the essential flow of information. But when you look at FAANG, they are all about advertising and entertainment. None of them directly provide essential services.