this post was submitted on 20 Jan 2025
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TikTok, the company that changed internet culture (english.elpais.com)
submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) by misk@sopuli.xyz to c/technology@lemmy.world
4 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Use reader mode in case of paywall. I recommend BBC article they’re linking to as well, even if slightly outdated by now.

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[–] Telorand@reddthat.com 9 points 2 days ago (1 children)

While the author is presenting a kind of clinically neutral tone, the number of times they mention that it's "addictive" is the point they're making, wittingly or not. One could almost expect nervous laughter from the author.

TikTok shaped the internet, alright, but not for the better. The short-burst video format is engaging, but it allows no room for nuance, no room for fact checking or deeper breakdowns. We can see the effects in the rise of anti-intellectual, anti-science, and reactionary rhetoric. FFS, the "person nods and points at reposted video" while silently adding nothing is now a meme, because TikTok "creators" still do (did) it unironically, and people still (used to) eat it up.

If anything, TikTok has abused human psychology and left society the worse for it. I hope Trump fails to prevent the ban, because if not, expect the firehose of disinformation to only grow and attention spans to shrink—a deadly combination.

[–] INeedMana@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

short-burst video format is engaging, but it allows no room for nuance, no room for fact checking or deeper breakdowns

it simply is other format, for other means. Since yt started forcing creators to put at least 12min videos for max ads revenue, you can't cover a meaningful amount of topics in an hour. Unless you start speeding them up and constantly clicking to get to the meat of the video. And that's why the short format is gaining popularity. That it lacks depth? Of course, but if I'm interested in depth, I go search other formats. Most of the info I want to get is "more or less what is happening everywhere". I don't have to understand the nuances of political and societal situation in a country on the other side of the world, to want to know that there are riots there rn

The fact that most of people use it for cats and drama? It's been there since IRC

[–] Telorand@reddthat.com 9 points 2 days ago (1 children)

You missed the point. My point wasn't that it's "just another format," it's that the short-form format is bad for our brains. You can't cover a topic in 35-60 seconds, and not with enough nuance that some people won't misunderstand something fundamental.

That's great that you'll look for other resources, but many others won't, and they'll get their "facts" from TikTok just because you can ingest a lot of content in a very short time. People are not sitting there going, "Hmm, I should look for a longer video or article to see if there's details they missed," they're credulously taking people at their first take and moving onto the next dopamine hit.

And speaking of dopamine hits, the fact that TikTok can suck people in in only 35 seconds should be a warning sign that this is utilizing the same addictive mechanisms as gambling. "Just one more funny cat video to boost my mood... It's only 20sec long, and I can afford that in my schedule." Replace "cat video and 20sec" with "pull and dollar," and it sounds just like a gambling addict.

Think I'm overselling it? When was the last time you can recall somebody committing arson over losing an app?

https://www.tmj4.com/news/fond-du-lac-county/tiktok-ban-blamed-19-year-old-suspected-of-setting-fire-to-u-s-representatives-office

People are acting like drug addicts when people intervene to take away their drugs.

I don't have to understand the nuances of political and societal situation in a country on the other side of the world, to want to know that there are riots there rn

That you think this earnestly is an indictment of your entire position and only proves mine. If you don't know why something is happening, I guarantee somebody with an agenda will happily fill in the blanks for you. And they can do it in 35sec.

[–] INeedMana@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago

You can’t cover a topic in 35-60 seconds, and not with enough nuance that some people won’t misunderstand something fundamental.

In country X there are riots. Side A with side B has been clashing since Wednesday, there are N people killed and M wounded.

That's 30 seconds and all the nuance that's needed. Next news

many others won’t, and they’ll get their “facts” from TikTok just because you can ingest a lot of content in a very short time

Then at least they know something is happening

“Just one more funny cat video to boost my mood… It’s only 20sec long, and I can afford that in my schedule.” Replace “cat video and 20sec” with “pull and dollar,” and it sounds just like a gambling addict.

You mean like 9GAG? Or TV being on non-stop? Or radio?

When was the last time you can recall somebody committing arson over losing an app?

I bet it's happening all the time. It just doesn't make the news until the next "game videos are causing violence", "rock music makes you kill yourself", "Harry Potter is satanism" etc becomes a hot topic to tie it to

If you don’t know why something is happening, I guarantee somebody with an agenda will happily fill in the blanks for you.

When it comes to current affairs there is no getting to real "why". Any opinion on why is a personal spin. Are you really cross-checking all the sources referenced in 20 minutes video? If not, you are on the mercy of the talking head the same as in 30 secs. Thing is, if you spent on one POV 30 secs and then another few, it becomes apparent what is the fact and what is opinion. To do the same in long formats you have to spend a lot of time on one topic, where there are many happening around the world