My point is that Facebook likes are simply a manifestation of a ubiquitous social characteristic.
We all get likes. Sometimes they're called upvotes. Sometimes they're called replies. Sometimes they're cumulatively seen as our status in the social pecking order.
Facebook doesn't add anything truly new or transformative here. These problems and patterns are ancient.
The patterns and problems are ancient, but convenience is a significant factor in terms of enablement and resulting harm. Humans and other animals have been vulnerable to addictive substances for as long as we can tell, but the level of effort needed to get high was much much harder before we learned how to process and distribute addictive drugs cheaply and efficiently.
Let's not underestimate the degree to which 'likes' (social affirmation ersatz) are eliciting the worst in people.