this post was submitted on 26 Oct 2024
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Maybe I'm just old, but I traveled by plane recently (I don't fly very often) and seeing everyone around me mindlessly scrolling short-form video content was shocking. Looked identical to the people in the space ship in WALL-E.
Dude, it's the airport. It's boring as fuck.
So are 10 second videos.
Maybe the next one won't be boring though
Or the next one
One more video and ill stop
Millions upon millions disagree. Some people are alcoholics and some people can enjoy a drink now and then. It's the same with short form video content. Not everyone is an addict and I like that I can search something and actually get answers instead of an article or 10 minute video begging for subscribers and 1/3 of the video being an intro.
https://www.npr.org/2024/10/12/g-s1-28040/teens-tiktok-addiction-lawsuit-investigation-documents
If only I could get addicted to something socially acceptable in under 35 minutes, like doing chores, or at least maths
Unfortunately the addictability and social acceptability are mutually exclusive. I can't think of anything that's both. Maybe coffee.
I'm a proud #CoffeeHater!
For what it's worth, getting in the habit of making excuses for one's use is part of alcoholism.
I'm not an alcoholic and I'm not addicted to TikTok because I watch it at the airport.
Right, exactly this. Also not ALL of the stuff that's shortform is brain rot or nonsense. There's so many different people doing so many different things and if you give it a chance enough to find the things you like it can be as enjoyable as a long form YouTube video or whatever form of media you do consider to be more respectable than short form videos. Dismissing ALL short form content is just silly. And sure if you actually just don't enjoy it than that's your thing.
You're right that there is a lot of good content, too. The problem is that a platform doesn't care as long as you stay and watch, also you'll need quite a lot of effort to find your own good content. So when I come to YouTube for something and end up watching more, I always know that I failed to YouTube trying to rip me off
They should go do a crossword puzzle and get off my lawn.
Tbh, doesn't sound like a bad option.
Yeah there’s probably a park with a lot more grass
Sudoku is my go-to for boring time on the airplane
also not a fan of them, but people are enjoying it. so by definition it's not boring for them
You can have tons of fun at the airport as long as you don't mind getting on the no-fly list.
Fair, but I traveled for a music festival and saw lots of people pulling up their phones to get a few hits of TikTok/insta when there was a small lull in action. And most of them were with friends. Just enjoy your surroundings.
I was at a party with a small group of friends recently. We were all talking in a group and then one guy started watching tik/insta/whatever with the volume on. Everyone kinda looked at each other like wtf? I asked our friend if he wanted to borrow my headphones to watch that. He took the hint and rejoined the conversation. I still was gobsmacked someone would do that while hanging out with people.
Endorphins are a hell of a drug.
Next time I'm in an airport food court I'll try to really take in the view of the cinnabon next to the starbucks.
And there are so many things you could do even just on your phone than mindless, objectively bad for your mental health shit like tiktok style content. Watch actual videos about interesting, cool and/or fun things, play a game, talk with a friend etc.
TikTok DOES have videos of interesting, cool, fun, and even educational things. If the algorithm has you on garbage, it's because of what you watch.
What tf you want them to do?
I don't see how reading magazines, what people used to do, is any better.
I’m not an expert, so take this as far as you’d like — reading has real benefits to our brains such as improving vocabulary, improving critical thinking skills, and improving focus. I don’t think short form videos give us the same brain benefits.
Here’s an article from Piedmont health on the benefits of reading. I haven’t seen such an article for short form videos, but am open to it if there is one.
https://www.piedmont.org/living-real-change/health-benefits-of-reading
You don't see how reading is better than watching a video?
Doesn't it depend on the content? Textbook vs tabloid magazine/ educational video vs top 10 celebrity meltdowns. I don't see how one medium is inherently better than the other.
It depends on the content, not the media.
Why have we got to gatekeep absolutely everything?
Reading the same nonsense isn't any different from watching it
WALL-E was depressingly prescient.
Instagram has been getting me with this. I like to post sometimes, but my friends and I recently compared our screen time stats and I couldn’t believe I was regularly wasting hours a day mindlessly scrolling IG. I uninstalled the app and will just occasionally post from my computer.
I took it off my home screen and started using one of those screen time apps. I check it two or three times a day now, instead of however many it was before.
I'm glad there's still a place left for us old curmudgeons that isn't overrun by normies yet. i saw somebody suggest hosting things on tor, just for the purpose of keeping normies away from it. hilarious but probably would work great!
As opposed to doing what exactly?
If you are upset by the video length I can provide you plenty of videos of absolute tosh that are over 18 minutes long.
Reading, maybe. People don't read actual literature as much as they used to.
A long video would also be better for you, yes, instead of being designed to catch your attention and keep giving you dopamine hits.
TikTok has 2 versions:
One is what we use. People mindlessly scroll brainrot contents with algorithm desinged to as addictive as possible.
Another one is chinese version. It has actualy useful and educative content, but its China only.
I don't think the national security risk from tiktok is people watching it while waiting an hour for the plane to actually take off.
it's from the clear boosting of propaganda.
The boosting of propaganda and the identification, tracking and exploitation of government targets.
People in key government positions are still people like us and they love social media too. Having an app on their phone doing data mining can identify people of interest and then collect data, target and compromise them. Even without the app on a government issued phone they can identify key people using their personal phones and then target them for more sophisticated surveillance.
As a Chinese person, no. Chinese version is just censored more. Both are good as far as format goes.
Regardless of whether the content is "useful and educative" or "brainrot", I just don't seem how you can comprehend rapidly-changing and very short content at all, this just seems unnatural. Is that how ADHD feels like? And not like you can get comprehensive knowledge from such bite-sized videos anyway, maximum disjointed factoids.
I'm not in china and I get chess, math and physics videos.
Yeah, fucking sheep!
I also thought about those scenes in Wally when I was walking the dog the other day.
Soon all of us will float around in armchairs and never step outside.
Welcome to the new world.
PS: I am old too.