I will acknowledge, though, that it's sometime easy to be drawn into some of the behaviors you describe:, especially noobs.
I think this addresses one of my concerns. There is a culture here for putting the least effort and earning the most reward. That should be looked into. Easier said than done. But i believe those with influence can change that. The major problem here has always been that there isn't a tangible way of measuring value. For example, my last video earned 2views. That's poor by any standard, i shouldn't be earning for that despite the effort put into it. It clearly shows i am not putting in the effort to create buzz for my post. This post has gotten the most engagement i have in the longest time and i feel without penny got was earned not gifted.
This is how i feel things should be.
However, one can also withdraw from those groups/stop the behavior. I have, and, frankly, have benefited from doing so.
It takes a lot to stop a habit that rewards you positively. But it is doable.