They are kids games. They're tribal, and they've always been used for distracting the public into complacency as far back as the Roman republic at least -- Bread and Circuses. Sports are the circuses.

critical part of human culture for longer than the language you use to dump on them

Critical for the ruling class to use so that they aren't overthrown by the proles. Same as it ever was.

Innocent until proven guilty, right?

This is the most tone deaf idiocy from google I’ve ever seen.

RCS is a terrible carrier encumbered design and Apple and iMessage users don’t think about RCS or Android at all.