I noticed this. I almost ditched Steemit because I felt that people had ulterior motives for being overly enthusiastic and positive. I then realised that this is human nature for the most part, and there's no avoiding it. For me I just use this as a place to vent, not unlike a self-help diary. The public space forces me to articulate my thoughts a little better than I would otherwise. I suspect that the concept of basically earning money for "likes" will cheapen the Steemit experience.