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Oh how the writer was trapped by the TikTok trap. Nothing on there is real. If you heard it on TikTok, it’s probably made up. Now comes the saddest part: an ent

Oh how the writer was trapped by the TikTok trap. Nothing on there is real. If you heard it on TikTok, it’s probably made up. Now comes the saddest part: an entire generation thinks it’s real, it’s true, and is being manipulated by made up sh&t like culling of cats caused the Black Death. The likes drive engagement, because it seems plausibly true, it must be right? So I’ll like it too so I don’t look dumb. (trick: you’re dumb by liking it). So in the end, it’s a giant echo chamber of bad advice and made up scenarios and dance videos (because a pole would be low class) for likes and money. There’s some legit channels, like there are on YouTube or other platforms, but that’s not what GenZ is watching. They are learning bogus history, bogus politics, bogus math, and bogus job skills, through TikTok. (Maybe even intentionally, to dumb us American’s down). Who knows. I do know that more BS has come from “I heard it on TikTok” than ever in history. Even reporters are getting their “source” from “I heard it on TikTok”. It’s ridiculous. No wonder wars are raging, people are fighting, and all while making cute videos of cats while spreading 3rd grade history plausibilities. Kudos for calling them out that nowhere, in the histories, did any of that happen.

reactordev 3y ago
Example of made up scenarios: You’re a singer. You recorded a song. How do you get people to listen to your song? You make up a scenario where your S.O. is just some random person and you play the song while doing something that shows attraction. Whether it’s hitting on the girl, or vice versa, or it’s puppies or something that invokes primal responses. Meanwhile the audio plays or you say “This is my song” and you have a dozen of your friends also promote it. Sit back and watch. A few people I know did this to break into the country music scene. Guy in Truck: “Hey, you wanna hear something?” Girl running: stops (pulls ear buds out like she couldn’t hear) “Sure” (confirming it was BS the whole time). Music plays Girl: “wow this is really good!” Guy: “Thanks”, can I get your number?” Girl: blushes and gives him a blank piece of paper because they are actually secretly married.
- hammock 3y ago
  It’s a con as old as medieval cats. Not new. Other examples: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nayirah_testimony https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nayirah_testimony
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
micromacrofoot 3y ago
I don't think we need the "China's doing it to us" conspiracy theories, humans have been doing this to themselves forever. I once got a good deal on a house because a significant number of people in the 21st century still believe in ghosts.
- reactordev 3y ago
  I never mentioned China. It could be ByteDance, it could be “The Algorithm”, it’s definitely humans. I would have only passed on the deal of the house if it was across from a cemetery. Haunted AND on location? I don’t believe in ghosts but that’s just bad juju. Anywhere else and I’d sign those papers.
  - notjoemama 3y ago
    I’d pass on the house too but not for spiritual or karmic reasons. I’ve seen enough social media to know the cemetery would regularly draw content creators and I wouldn’t want to deal with it. One Logan Paul video and every cemetery is overrun with attention seekers holding their phones at arm’s length.
- notjoemama 3y ago
  Chinese officials have made public statements in support of US accelerationism. There’s also a well documented history of Bytedance in China. It is not a conspiracy theory that China used TikTok to further erode US society. I wish I could recommend a specific YouTube video to link, but there are many now that cover the reality of China and TikTok. I’d recommend watching a couple.
  - dirtyhippiefree 3y ago
    I remember teens getting their news from YouTube and being saddened by it…so now it’s TikTok. The players change, the dance remains the same.
__jonas 3y ago
I can't stand these arrogant generalized "the current generation is wrong / dumbed down by the media / trapped by lies" takes, you know very well every generation has said this about the one after, and it's never true, you are wasting your energy shaking your fist at the kids, they are fine. > No wonder wars are raging, people are fighting, and all while making cute videos of cats while spreading 3rd grade history plausibilities. No, the current wars are not caused by TikTok. > Even reporters are getting their “source” from “I heard it on TikTok”. I wonder what you are getting your source from for this claim.
- reactordev 3y ago
  “No, the current wars are not caused by TikTok.” But the propaganda is being spread on there, fueling hate crimes and more. “I wonder what you are getting your source from for this claim.” Ask any 20-something where they get their news. Sure some are getting it from legit sources like NYTimes or WashPost or the like but a lot are getting it through their feeds on TikTok. I know it sounds like a “kids these days…” rant or a “get off my lawn” but I’m being dead serious. Every single young person under 20 I have spoken with (and I speak to a lot) gets their news from TikTok or a site like BuzzFeed or Newsweek that often will run TikTok stories. I’m not even that old and I see it. So yeah, be angry, but don’t be angry at me for calling out “Lazy Girl Jobs and how to get one” reporting. Because it happens and you know it.
  - saghm 3y ago
    > > > Even reporters are getting their “source” from “I heard it on TikTok”. > > I wonder what you are getting your source from for this claim. > Ask any 20-something where they get their news. Sure some are getting it from legit sources like NYTimes or WashPost or the like but a lot are getting it through their feeds on TikTok. So your source that reporters are getting their sources from TikTok is...20-something year old kids who heard it from TikTok? Either you didn't understand at all what you were being asked or you don't see the irony > I know it sounds like a “kids these days…” rant or a “get off my lawn” but I’m being dead serious. Every single young person under 20 I have spoken with (and I speak to a lot) gets their news from TikTok or a site like BuzzFeed or Newsweek that often will run TikTok stories. If you're concerned about proper reporting of news, I'm not sure that relying on selection bias is an effective way to make this point.
dullcrisp 3y ago
An entire generation thinks Santa Claus is real yet we’ve survived.
UncleMeat 3y ago
People making up ahistorical shit about the medieval period to make them seem like backwards religious fanatics is far older than tiktok. Every medievalist or early modernist I know has to start their classes by dragging their students through the basics of "no, the world wasn't backwards and then suddenly reasoned because of the renaissance." It is a general problem with a lack of respect for historians.
swells34 3y ago
"to dumb us American's down" We have literally been doing that to ourselves, for about 30 years now. We've absolutely been steadily handicapping our education system for decades. "wars are raging" Um who starts wars? Politicians, exclusively. What is the average age of politicians? Let's put it at 60's to be charitable. You do the math. It seems that TikTok, which you state, and GenZ, which you imply, don't have anything to do with the major issues that you attribute to them. This whole ranting incoherent comment kind of highlights the kind of behavior that has caused those major issues; complete rejection of reality in favor of screaming at scapegoats. Actually sounds a lot like someone who was in court today.
- reactordev 3y ago
  I was not implying GenZ is responsible for the wars. TikTok isn’t helping though, either. Misinformation being spread (on all sides) and being eaten up (and parroted) by our youth. So you can be obtuse and read what you wanted to read, you can equate me to someone you hate to justify your anger, but again it’s not me you should be angry with. I completely agree it’s politicians who start wars. These same idiots are watching the same crap their kids are showing them - on TikTok. Why else would there be a congressional hearing over Chinese spying over an app about dancing and narcissistic behavior? So who is rejecting reality? Here’s the reality. There are two (2) wars being fought. Both of which are being fueled by propaganda and misinformation being spread causing reactions, counter-reactions, and 3rd parties to pick sides. One of these wars has been brewing off and on for 50 years, with no path forward. Now there’s talk of occupation. The other, fueled by misinformation and lies. This isn’t some guy on HN crying about kids these days, it’s a genuine warning that if we (the hacker/coder/inventor) community don’t stop it, we won’t have a community because Russia or North Korea or some idiot with a spray tan will nuke the reality in which we have known all our lives.
rsynnott 3y ago
This is probably a bad example, in that is this is an old, _old_ piece of bad history. I think it's probably Victorian at least? "Oh, in the Middle Ages, Europeans hated/feared cats" is one of these untrue factoids that's been doing the rounds for ever; it's part of the general set of "dark ages" fantasy about the Middle Ages.
thih9 3y ago
> Oh how the writer was trapped by the TikTok trap. They weren't, the entire article is about disproving the video. They literally say "So anyway, the cat video is wrong.". I'm not sure why you extrapolate from one account with inaccurate cat videos to bashing the whole platform. E.g. on YouTube there are similar video accounts and worse.
elzbardico 3y ago
Nothing new under the sun. Plenty of people always believed everything they saw on Oprah.

reactordev 3y ago

Example of made up scenarios: You’re a singer. You recorded a song. How do you get people to listen to your song? You make up a scenario where your S.O. is just some random person and you play the song while doing something that shows attraction. Whether it’s hitting on the girl, or vice versa, or it’s puppies or something that invokes primal responses. Meanwhile the audio plays or you say “This is my song” and you have a dozen of your friends also promote it. Sit back and watch. A few people I know did this to break into the country music scene. Guy in Truck: “Hey, you wanna hear something?” Girl running: stops (pulls ear buds out like she couldn’t hear) “Sure” (confirming it was BS the whole time). Music plays Girl: “wow this is really good!” Guy: “Thanks”, can I get your number?” Girl: blushes and gives him a blank piece of paper because they are actually secretly married.

hammock 3y ago
It’s a con as old as medieval cats. Not new. Other examples: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nayirah_testimony https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nayirah_testimony

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

micromacrofoot 3y ago

I don't think we need the "China's doing it to us" conspiracy theories, humans have been doing this to themselves forever. I once got a good deal on a house because a significant number of people in the 21st century still believe in ghosts.

reactordev 3y ago
I never mentioned China. It could be ByteDance, it could be “The Algorithm”, it’s definitely humans. I would have only passed on the deal of the house if it was across from a cemetery. Haunted AND on location? I don’t believe in ghosts but that’s just bad juju. Anywhere else and I’d sign those papers.
- notjoemama 3y ago
  I’d pass on the house too but not for spiritual or karmic reasons. I’ve seen enough social media to know the cemetery would regularly draw content creators and I wouldn’t want to deal with it. One Logan Paul video and every cemetery is overrun with attention seekers holding their phones at arm’s length.
notjoemama 3y ago
Chinese officials have made public statements in support of US accelerationism. There’s also a well documented history of Bytedance in China. It is not a conspiracy theory that China used TikTok to further erode US society. I wish I could recommend a specific YouTube video to link, but there are many now that cover the reality of China and TikTok. I’d recommend watching a couple.
- dirtyhippiefree 3y ago
  I remember teens getting their news from YouTube and being saddened by it…so now it’s TikTok. The players change, the dance remains the same.

__jonas 3y ago

I can't stand these arrogant generalized "the current generation is wrong / dumbed down by the media / trapped by lies" takes, you know very well every generation has said this about the one after, and it's never true, you are wasting your energy shaking your fist at the kids, they are fine. > No wonder wars are raging, people are fighting, and all while making cute videos of cats while spreading 3rd grade history plausibilities. No, the current wars are not caused by TikTok. > Even reporters are getting their “source” from “I heard it on TikTok”. I wonder what you are getting your source from for this claim.

reactordev 3y ago
“No, the current wars are not caused by TikTok.” But the propaganda is being spread on there, fueling hate crimes and more. “I wonder what you are getting your source from for this claim.” Ask any 20-something where they get their news. Sure some are getting it from legit sources like NYTimes or WashPost or the like but a lot are getting it through their feeds on TikTok. I know it sounds like a “kids these days…” rant or a “get off my lawn” but I’m being dead serious. Every single young person under 20 I have spoken with (and I speak to a lot) gets their news from TikTok or a site like BuzzFeed or Newsweek that often will run TikTok stories. I’m not even that old and I see it. So yeah, be angry, but don’t be angry at me for calling out “Lazy Girl Jobs and how to get one” reporting. Because it happens and you know it.
- saghm 3y ago
  > > > Even reporters are getting their “source” from “I heard it on TikTok”. > > I wonder what you are getting your source from for this claim. > Ask any 20-something where they get their news. Sure some are getting it from legit sources like NYTimes or WashPost or the like but a lot are getting it through their feeds on TikTok. So your source that reporters are getting their sources from TikTok is...20-something year old kids who heard it from TikTok? Either you didn't understand at all what you were being asked or you don't see the irony > I know it sounds like a “kids these days…” rant or a “get off my lawn” but I’m being dead serious. Every single young person under 20 I have spoken with (and I speak to a lot) gets their news from TikTok or a site like BuzzFeed or Newsweek that often will run TikTok stories. If you're concerned about proper reporting of news, I'm not sure that relying on selection bias is an effective way to make this point.

dullcrisp 3y ago

An entire generation thinks Santa Claus is real yet we’ve survived.

UncleMeat 3y ago

People making up ahistorical shit about the medieval period to make them seem like backwards religious fanatics is far older than tiktok. Every medievalist or early modernist I know has to start their classes by dragging their students through the basics of "no, the world wasn't backwards and then suddenly reasoned because of the renaissance." It is a general problem with a lack of respect for historians.

swells34 3y ago

"to dumb us American's down" We have literally been doing that to ourselves, for about 30 years now. We've absolutely been steadily handicapping our education system for decades. "wars are raging" Um who starts wars? Politicians, exclusively. What is the average age of politicians? Let's put it at 60's to be charitable. You do the math. It seems that TikTok, which you state, and GenZ, which you imply, don't have anything to do with the major issues that you attribute to them. This whole ranting incoherent comment kind of highlights the kind of behavior that has caused those major issues; complete rejection of reality in favor of screaming at scapegoats. Actually sounds a lot like someone who was in court today.

reactordev 3y ago
I was not implying GenZ is responsible for the wars. TikTok isn’t helping though, either. Misinformation being spread (on all sides) and being eaten up (and parroted) by our youth. So you can be obtuse and read what you wanted to read, you can equate me to someone you hate to justify your anger, but again it’s not me you should be angry with. I completely agree it’s politicians who start wars. These same idiots are watching the same crap their kids are showing them - on TikTok. Why else would there be a congressional hearing over Chinese spying over an app about dancing and narcissistic behavior? So who is rejecting reality? Here’s the reality. There are two (2) wars being fought. Both of which are being fueled by propaganda and misinformation being spread causing reactions, counter-reactions, and 3rd parties to pick sides. One of these wars has been brewing off and on for 50 years, with no path forward. Now there’s talk of occupation. The other, fueled by misinformation and lies. This isn’t some guy on HN crying about kids these days, it’s a genuine warning that if we (the hacker/coder/inventor) community don’t stop it, we won’t have a community because Russia or North Korea or some idiot with a spray tan will nuke the reality in which we have known all our lives.

rsynnott 3y ago

This is probably a bad example, in that is this is an old, _old_ piece of bad history. I think it's probably Victorian at least? "Oh, in the Middle Ages, Europeans hated/feared cats" is one of these untrue factoids that's been doing the rounds for ever; it's part of the general set of "dark ages" fantasy about the Middle Ages.

thih9 3y ago

> Oh how the writer was trapped by the TikTok trap. They weren't, the entire article is about disproving the video. They literally say "So anyway, the cat video is wrong.". I'm not sure why you extrapolate from one account with inaccurate cat videos to bashing the whole platform. E.g. on YouTube there are similar video accounts and worse.

elzbardico 3y ago

Nothing new under the sun. Plenty of people always believed everything they saw on Oprah.