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Facebook has been primarily displaced by Tiktok, which is considerably more addictive than FB. It's like zonking out in front of cable TV in the olden days, if

Facebook has been primarily displaced by Tiktok, which is considerably more addictive than FB. It's like zonking out in front of cable TV in the olden days, if the cable TV had access to an essentially unlimited content library of short-form dopamine hits, was capable of determining exactly what you like, and showing you exactly that forever.

CTmystery 5y ago
With that description, I can't help but think of "the entertainment" from infinite jest.
- jquery 5y ago
  That's exactly what TikTok is. I've tried to use it several times, but it was just too dystopian for me to keep going. It was an intensely disquieting experience seeing the algorithm try to "addict" me to the product. I just don't see the appeal in being an utterly passive consumer of entertainment generated by an AI (yes, I know humans nominally generate the content, but the secret sauce is the AI playing conductor). It reminds me of Elsa-gate. Just surreal.
sasaf5 5y ago
I get hypnotized by tiktok even by seeing it over other people's shoulders. HN and reddit already makes me feel guilty. I am not even starting with that one.
vorpalhex 5y ago
TikTok, for it's many faults, is at least not ragebait farming. It is distracting junk. Facebook feels more malicious in my mind.
- frozenport 5y ago
  TikTok has tons of ragebait farming material. The fact that you're not seeing what you don't likely highlights the effectiveness of their algorithm.
- hokumguru 5y ago
  Except TikTok’s also is controlled or controllable by a foreign government whereas we know all Facebook is after is more profit. One of these seems more malicious and abusable than the other.
  - youareafool 5y ago
  - babypuncher 5y ago
    Motives aside, I see way more concerning content on Facebook than TikTok
  - reincarnate0x14 5y ago
    Yeah TikTok has yet to convince anyone I know that there is a globalist plot to replace white people with Jews and blacks for um, reasons? One of these is more malicious and has already been more abused than the other.
    - vorpalhex 5y ago
      Right because anti-semitism and replacement theory didn't exist until Facebook.. And uh, does the genocide of the Uigher population somehow not count as an evil? I mean I know they are Muslims and not Jews but seems like we should be concerned about them being forced into camps and sterilized...
      - reincarnate0x14 5y ago
        Of course the lunatic cult existed before, but none of my relatives were at risk of getting suckered into the John Birch Society orbit before about 2010. And it seems like the PRC has been repressing Uighurs in Xinjiang since well before TikTok, and I doubt the leadership circles in China are swapping dance videos about the subject. This is not to say TikTok is some wonderful, innocent thing. But the harm done by it compared to Facebook is just not remotely comparable, at least not yet, and that may be partially due to the nature of what the platform pushes and to whom.
- gammarator 5y ago
  Not yet. If Facebook can produce so many conspiracy theorists and so much radicalization, what will TikTok be capable of?
  - wraptile 5y ago
    That's what I fear. I usually join social networks too late but I joined TikTok just in time to have a good time before it all turns to shit. It's already happening, my bubble is being slowly invaded by conspiracy/political/gamed videos even though I try to avoid them as hard as I can. I dread to see what new user experience looks like these days.
  - throwawaylinux 5y ago
    Conspiracy theories about conspiracy theorists. I like it.
- jquery 5y ago
  Early Facebook was wholesome as well, relatively speaking. It's the cycle of addiction. The early days of addiction are always nostalgic. It's only later that an addiction starts to produce anger as much as it produces relief. I see no safeguards preventing Tiktok from going down the same path, if not worse.
agumonkey 5y ago
Surprisingly this time the dopamine providers are .. us.
NoPicklez 5y ago
Tiktok is absolutely more addictive than Facebook.

CTmystery 5y ago

With that description, I can't help but think of "the entertainment" from infinite jest.

jquery 5y ago
That's exactly what TikTok is. I've tried to use it several times, but it was just too dystopian for me to keep going. It was an intensely disquieting experience seeing the algorithm try to "addict" me to the product. I just don't see the appeal in being an utterly passive consumer of entertainment generated by an AI (yes, I know humans nominally generate the content, but the secret sauce is the AI playing conductor). It reminds me of Elsa-gate. Just surreal.

sasaf5 5y ago

I get hypnotized by tiktok even by seeing it over other people's shoulders. HN and reddit already makes me feel guilty. I am not even starting with that one.

vorpalhex 5y ago

TikTok, for it's many faults, is at least not ragebait farming. It is distracting junk. Facebook feels more malicious in my mind.

frozenport 5y ago
TikTok has tons of ragebait farming material. The fact that you're not seeing what you don't likely highlights the effectiveness of their algorithm.
hokumguru 5y ago
Except TikTok’s also is controlled or controllable by a foreign government whereas we know all Facebook is after is more profit. One of these seems more malicious and abusable than the other.
- youareafool 5y ago
- babypuncher 5y ago
  Motives aside, I see way more concerning content on Facebook than TikTok
- reincarnate0x14 5y ago
  Yeah TikTok has yet to convince anyone I know that there is a globalist plot to replace white people with Jews and blacks for um, reasons? One of these is more malicious and has already been more abused than the other.
  - vorpalhex 5y ago
    Right because anti-semitism and replacement theory didn't exist until Facebook.. And uh, does the genocide of the Uigher population somehow not count as an evil? I mean I know they are Muslims and not Jews but seems like we should be concerned about them being forced into camps and sterilized...
    - reincarnate0x14 5y ago
      Of course the lunatic cult existed before, but none of my relatives were at risk of getting suckered into the John Birch Society orbit before about 2010. And it seems like the PRC has been repressing Uighurs in Xinjiang since well before TikTok, and I doubt the leadership circles in China are swapping dance videos about the subject. This is not to say TikTok is some wonderful, innocent thing. But the harm done by it compared to Facebook is just not remotely comparable, at least not yet, and that may be partially due to the nature of what the platform pushes and to whom.
gammarator 5y ago
Not yet. If Facebook can produce so many conspiracy theorists and so much radicalization, what will TikTok be capable of?
- wraptile 5y ago
  That's what I fear. I usually join social networks too late but I joined TikTok just in time to have a good time before it all turns to shit. It's already happening, my bubble is being slowly invaded by conspiracy/political/gamed videos even though I try to avoid them as hard as I can. I dread to see what new user experience looks like these days.
- throwawaylinux 5y ago
  Conspiracy theories about conspiracy theorists. I like it.
jquery 5y ago
Early Facebook was wholesome as well, relatively speaking. It's the cycle of addiction. The early days of addiction are always nostalgic. It's only later that an addiction starts to produce anger as much as it produces relief. I see no safeguards preventing Tiktok from going down the same path, if not worse.

agumonkey 5y ago

Surprisingly this time the dopamine providers are .. us.

NoPicklez 5y ago

Tiktok is absolutely more addictive than Facebook.