because it’s literally a fucking skinner box
Please explain why you think so
All
social mediasmulti-user blogs are. It’s a behavioral thing. If a specific behavior always guaranties results, then it makes sense to only do it when you need results. But if that behavior only sometimes yields results, then the brain kicks in and goes, “Oh, I should do this frequently, so that I already have [results] if and when I need them.” This is good tactics, evolutionary. The brain that persist and has [results] should generally be better suited for survival than the brain that gives up and has no [results]. On an individual level though……it’s only good tactics situationally. When the behavior is [LOGGING ON] and the results are [GOOD POSTS], then it’s more of a vicious trap than good tactics. Especially when your time almost certainly could be better spent doing anything other than sifting through posts. This doesn’t just apply to websites. Gambling exploits this behavioral tendency as well. Most video games employ it, intentionally or unintentionally, to varying degrees.
yeah as I was writing my response I realized, aw, fuck, I need to get off hexbear for awhile because it’s the same kind of drug
but tiktok is more aggressive and capitalist, therefore more malicious
:hexbear-static: this is my blog. there are many like it, but this one is mine
:meow-hug: Goodnight and good :logout:, I shall be doing so as well
much like a slot machine, it is a device designed to totally monopolize your attention for long stretches of time with randomized releases of dopamine rewards based on some minimal mechanical input from the user (the buttons in slots, scrolling in tiktok’s case) for the purpose of monetizing you. it is weaponized psychology.
engaging arrangements of pixels and audio are beamed to your eyes and ears, ceaselessly. You make a simple swipe motion to get fresh slop. It certainly resembles a skinner box, whether or not those specific kinds of conditioning are literally happening. (and yes, other social media also functions like this, but far less refined, with more pretext of actually facilitating human interaction)
I don’t hate it but I think the extreme short format combined with aggressive algorithm baiting leads to the most boring, brainless content imaginable. I’ve seen some fantastic content on Tiktok too - but I’m not sifting through the rubble looking for it.
i am old and afraid of change
I hate anything that has advertising I can’t skip and refuse to ever make use of it
You can skip tho lmao. Like, immediately. Ads just up as regular videos in your feed, I swipe up on them in a millisecond
the people on this site are old is the biggest reason. i say this with love.
This is definitely a big part of it. One of the best parts of getting older is seeing a new thing and saying to yourself, “Nah, I’m good.”
Due to the falling rates of profits new things must be worse so maybe its not you getting older?
Nah, I’m good on the falling rates of profit.
Am old. Am not on TikTok
Official reason: Because it’s nonfree software that connects to an unfederared server. It also is a user-generated content factory with no goal but to grow. It’s also really unmoderated if we are talking outside of Douyin (China’s server).
Actual Reason: the people there are too hot.
They’re almost definitely running filters though
Counterpoint: No amount of filters could make me look that hot :(
Have you considered contouring
THEY BURNED OUR CROPS, CAUSED OUR WOMEN TO MISCARRY, AND BROUGHT PLAGUE TO OUR LANDS
So close to Bubble Buddy’s horrific crimes against sea life.
Do people talk about Tiktok here often?
I was just thinking this, I’ve never even seen tiktok mentioned on this site
but I also don’t use tiktok so i prob dont seek out/participate in those posts
I prefer long-form video content. Also y’know the whole thing where the algorithm is optimized to exploit every vulnerability in the human psyche to keep people glued to their screens is a bit sus.
the enshittification of youtube started a long time ago, but when they started pushing “shorts” on people, I knew it was truly
Their webpage is pretty easy to navigate on desktop. That’s based on, maybe, six whole minutes of browsing. Like all
social mediablogs, the best way to interact with it is to let someone else sift through and find the gems.Also, China has better captchas, but i don’t get to poison some tech dork’s data pool with malicious answers.
Anyone who is hating on tiktok will most likely be hating on social media in general. Ppl who stan a particular slop platform are not real.
deleted by creator
supposed I should rephrase what i said as ‘should be hating on social media in general’ then wtf i’ve been owned
bc people typing like this make me feel older than i actually am. i dislike the self-censorship of terms such as killing, fuck, etc, and I don’t mean that in a chuddy anti-censorship way it just comes off as insincere when people say shit like unalive or whatever. to actually unpack why i hate it when people type like shown in the screenshot - nothing of substance is actually being said, it’s just a bunch of canned phrases being used in their context. i understand this isn’t representative of tiktok as a whole but it sure as hell is what i associate with tiktok.
bro does NOT understand TikTok 😂😂😂😂😂🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦💀💀💀💀💀💀💀
Those comments are meant to be stupidly funny for teenagers not have substance lol (tho theyre pretty clever sometimes imo). If you get it you get it (and are also probably terminally online)
The self-censorship is bc tiktok has a history of shadowbanning content that uses certain words
Yea the unalive things a great example.
It’s weird were treating certain words like voldemorts name but even weirder we all just agree on a really stupid sounding alternative that everybody knows means the exact same thing.
It’s like it isn’t the concept of suicide that people might not like, it’s just the literal word itself apparently.
And now how long until you need another word because unalive just means suicide.
I know this is dangerously close to chuds arguments on why slurs aren’t a biflg deal cus it just keeps getting changed but at least those are over a longer time frame and actually have the intention of changing the meaning and context of a term.
It’s like it isn’t the concept of suicide that people might not like, it’s just the literal word itself apparently.
People don’t beat around saying “suicide” because they’re not trying to trigger anyone? It’s a way of getting around censorship. Tiktok has history with hiding videos that talk about serious mental health issues from the algorithm (they even shadowbanned the word “depression” so people were using “d3pr3ssion” or some shit)
Sometimes people even self-censor while being intentionally triggering, for example they know if they said “kys” their comment would get filtered, so you might see people saying “unalive yourself” or “keep yourself safe”
Why argue against yourself? Nobody brought up chuds. Dont look weak man.
Well I got addicted to it so it’s a bit personal. Don’t worry, I am doing a bit better now.
I agree with what everyone’s saying here. I don’t think I qualify as old. I was a teenager when it first blew up. It’s designed to be addictive, extremely short form content has produced an absolute gutter of content. The success of it’s brain-mining operation is now being mimicked by every other form of entertainment on the planet. Everything’s got 15 cuts per second, 50 things flying around on screen at once, and so on. It feels like tiktok woke companies up to the fact that you don’t need good content, you just need hyperstimulation.
As well as all of that, I think tiktok tracks with the rise of onlyfans. In itself, the whole debate of self-prostitution is difficult. I understand that onlyfans is a preferable alternative to every other form of pornography production. However, the way it’s advertised on tiktok to kids doesn’t sit right with me, especially when it’s wrapped up as part of the brain goo. As in, you get the visual hyperstimulation of colours and noises, but you also get stimulation that appeals to a sexual desire which is so innate to being human. It gives you those brain chemicals to keep you on the app. Then these onlyfans models get a huge following of teenagers, and as a result you see a worsening of the already bad porn addiction situation that came about with the ease of access the internet provides. I’m not blaming the onlyfans models for it - it’s a symptom of a much larger problem of capitalism induced isolation and commodification of our very minds.
I don’t think I qualify as old. I was a teenager when it first blew up
You’re literally the skibidi generation
Not quite. Tiktok is older than you think. When I was 17, OG Fortnite was around. Over the pandemic it was Among Us days. None of my friends know skibidi lore. I was a DasBoSchitt productions kid when I was 9 - the true GMOD animation series - The Idiot Box.
I don’t have one but the amount of times I’ve heard people saying straight up bullshit while my gf watches them or my gf tells me something that doesn’t sound right, I ask her where she heard it and she says ticktok and then I check and it is in fact bulkshit is also bad.
That and not being able to choose what to watch having it selected for you and randomly put in front of you is weird.