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Even if TikTok were suddenly wiped off every phone on the planet, a competitor would take its place. TikTok simply takes advantage of people's desire to be ente

Even if TikTok were suddenly wiped off every phone on the planet, a competitor would take its place. TikTok simply takes advantage of people's desire to be entertained and apathy over privacy issues.

jerojero 4y ago
Very much this. Once the method has been proven then all you can change is flavor. It is very much clear that this kind of entertainment is very addictive and if done well it can get people to sink hours and hours into it.
- fy20 4y ago
  The problem isn't just social media, it's all kinds of entertainment. It seems like everything today is designed to give as much as a adrenine and dopamine hit as possible. Take a look at the style of the filmmaking from a movie today and a similar movie from 20 years ago. Each scene has many more abrupt cuts, and everything feels much more fast paced. https://www.rogerebert.com/scanners/agents-of-chaos https://www.rogerebert.com/scanners/agents-of-chaos
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
throwaway290 4y ago
Thinking the market is always split into discrete niches based on current landscape you will never come up with an actual innovation. There could be product(s) that address the desire to be entertained in various ways without being like TikTok or taking its exact niche.
ehsankia 4y ago
I don't understand the point. Every social media's goal is to take advantage of people's desire to be entertained. Youtube, Instagram, etc. Yet TikTik has managed to come from behind and overtake all the other apps. People are so quick to dismiss its algorithm, yet no other app comes close to recreating the experience.
- notpushkin 4y ago
  That's not because of the algorithm. That's because everybody's already on TikTok. If you make a new Facebook, you better make something about it different because otherwise people would just stay on Facebook.
  - cerved 4y ago
    it's because of the algorithm, good UX and few, skippable ads
  - iso1631 4y ago
    How did Tiktok start? Everyone was already on youtube.
  - ehsankia 4y ago
    I started using TikTok long before everyone was in it, pre-pandemic, and even then it was already much better than most other apps, and quite immediately too.
no_butterscotch 4y ago
Unfortunately true. Even when presented with TikTok's data harvesting or algorithm tweaking to make divisive issues trend more popularly -- no users want to give it up. Really does anyone have any better rationale that could be used to convince people not to use it? I have older relatives (60s) and younger (teens) that are obsessed with it.
googlryas 4y ago
Most people don't care about privacy issues not because of apathy, but because they have a different sense of privacy than privacy advocates. I believe privacy advocates view private information without nuance, whereas normal people do not. Many people would not care a lick of you could figure out they ate at subway earlier in the day, whereas this is worrying to privacy advocates.
- somenameforme 4y ago
  This claim is regularly repeated, but strongly and directly contradicted by literally every study on the topic. Here [1] is one from Pew in late 2019. 81% of Americans believe the potential risks of companies collecting about them outweighs and benefits. 79% are very/somewhat concerned about how the data collected on them is used. The big issue 81% also believe that little or no control over the data collection. Interestingly not only do people also feel that the government will do nothing to hold companies accountable, they are also concerned about how the government is using their data. Such results are demonstrated in every single survey. People are overwhelmingly concerned about how companies are using their data, but feel completely helpless. [1] - https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/11/15/americans-and-privacy-concerned-confused-and-feeling-lack-of-control-over-their-personal-information/ https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/11/15/americans-an...
  - roguesherlock 4y ago
    I hear you. It’s just that the rise of TikTok contradicts all the survey results. I.e. I don’t see their sentiments reflect in their actions. I mean if you’re concerned about your data and feel helpless, simply don’t use the app. But TikTok keeps rising doesn’t it.
    - Jorengarenar 4y ago
      In other words: "if you're concerned about your weight, simply stop eating choco" The problem is "simply stop" is actually not that simple
    - 4y ago
2Gkashmiri 4y ago
help me understand please. i am not from USA so i don't see of things as us vs them thing when it comes to china, for me, its all "them" anyway so be it china or usa. what tangible privacy issues are with tiktok? in india the govt banned it last time over some bs reasons helping instagram but that is unrelated to "privacy"... tiktok sells ads, instagram/fb sells ads. if i am using both, how is one better and another really bad? its not like the US based companies aren't in for the money for the highest bidder and even harmful for their own citizens like the recent case of fb snitching on a girl who wanted an abortion?

Even if TikTok were suddenly wiped off every phone on the planet, a competitor would take its place. TikTok simply takes advantage of people's desire to be entertained and apathy over privacy issues.

jerojero 4y ago

Very much this. Once the method has been proven then all you can change is flavor. It is very much clear that this kind of entertainment is very addictive and if done well it can get people to sink hours and hours into it.

fy20 4y ago
The problem isn't just social media, it's all kinds of entertainment. It seems like everything today is designed to give as much as a adrenine and dopamine hit as possible. Take a look at the style of the filmmaking from a movie today and a similar movie from 20 years ago. Each scene has many more abrupt cuts, and everything feels much more fast paced. https://www.rogerebert.com/scanners/agents-of-chaos https://www.rogerebert.com/scanners/agents-of-chaos

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

throwaway290 4y ago

Thinking the market is always split into discrete niches based on current landscape you will never come up with an actual innovation. There could be product(s) that address the desire to be entertained in various ways without being like TikTok or taking its exact niche.

ehsankia 4y ago

I don't understand the point. Every social media's goal is to take advantage of people's desire to be entertained. Youtube, Instagram, etc. Yet TikTik has managed to come from behind and overtake all the other apps. People are so quick to dismiss its algorithm, yet no other app comes close to recreating the experience.

notpushkin 4y ago
That's not because of the algorithm. That's because everybody's already on TikTok. If you make a new Facebook, you better make something about it different because otherwise people would just stay on Facebook.
- cerved 4y ago
  it's because of the algorithm, good UX and few, skippable ads
- iso1631 4y ago
  How did Tiktok start? Everyone was already on youtube.
- ehsankia 4y ago
  I started using TikTok long before everyone was in it, pre-pandemic, and even then it was already much better than most other apps, and quite immediately too.

no_butterscotch 4y ago

Unfortunately true. Even when presented with TikTok's data harvesting or algorithm tweaking to make divisive issues trend more popularly -- no users want to give it up. Really does anyone have any better rationale that could be used to convince people not to use it? I have older relatives (60s) and younger (teens) that are obsessed with it.

googlryas 4y ago

Most people don't care about privacy issues not because of apathy, but because they have a different sense of privacy than privacy advocates. I believe privacy advocates view private information without nuance, whereas normal people do not. Many people would not care a lick of you could figure out they ate at subway earlier in the day, whereas this is worrying to privacy advocates.

somenameforme 4y ago
This claim is regularly repeated, but strongly and directly contradicted by literally every study on the topic. Here [1] is one from Pew in late 2019. 81% of Americans believe the potential risks of companies collecting about them outweighs and benefits. 79% are very/somewhat concerned about how the data collected on them is used. The big issue 81% also believe that little or no control over the data collection. Interestingly not only do people also feel that the government will do nothing to hold companies accountable, they are also concerned about how the government is using their data. Such results are demonstrated in every single survey. People are overwhelmingly concerned about how companies are using their data, but feel completely helpless. [1] - https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/11/15/americans-and-privacy-concerned-confused-and-feeling-lack-of-control-over-their-personal-information/ https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/11/15/americans-an...
- roguesherlock 4y ago
  I hear you. It’s just that the rise of TikTok contradicts all the survey results. I.e. I don’t see their sentiments reflect in their actions. I mean if you’re concerned about your data and feel helpless, simply don’t use the app. But TikTok keeps rising doesn’t it.
  - Jorengarenar 4y ago
    In other words: "if you're concerned about your weight, simply stop eating choco" The problem is "simply stop" is actually not that simple
  - 4y ago

2Gkashmiri 4y ago

help me understand please. i am not from USA so i don't see of things as us vs them thing when it comes to china, for me, its all "them" anyway so be it china or usa. what tangible privacy issues are with tiktok? in india the govt banned it last time over some bs reasons helping instagram but that is unrelated to "privacy"... tiktok sells ads, instagram/fb sells ads. if i am using both, how is one better and another really bad? its not like the US based companies aren't in for the money for the highest bidder and even harmful for their own citizens like the recent case of fb snitching on a girl who wanted an abortion?