3 ms·

I can't believe how ignorant some people could be. It is so easy to find reports and evidence of how Tiktok could be of great value to people. https://www.nyt

by fqye 2y ago

I can't believe how ignorant some people could be. It is so easy to find reports and evidence of how Tiktok could be of great value to people. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/16/dining/tiktok-ban-cooking-food.html https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/16/dining/tiktok-ban-cooking... https://www.today.com/popculture/books/what-is-booktok-meaning-rcna70362 https://www.today.com/popculture/books/what-is-booktok-meani... https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-67555175 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-67555175

z3c0 2y ago
Not that I really care enough to ban TikTok, but the value demonstrated here is pretty spurious. You could swap "TikTok" with "socializing", and I'm sure these people would've had similar outcomes.
- mandmandam 2y ago
  Socializing is indeed of great value to people; not at all spurious. You're helping prove OP's point. And OP didn't even mention all the small businesses that took off due to TikTok giving them an avenue. This notion that people have to dismiss TikTok as merely mindless dopamine is really just wilful ignorance.
  - z3c0 2y ago
    My point is that none of this is truly dependent on the existence of TikTok, which OP does not be seeming to be arguing, even slightly. The internet is a revolving door of gathering spaces that enable people to do nice things for each other. People can do nice things for each other anywhere, even when surrounded by the digital equivalent of two-way mirrors.
- paulryanrogers 2y ago
  Citizens have a right to assemble and speak to each other. Foreign corporations don't have a right to own the feeds of huge swaths of the population. Hence the rules around newspaper and TV ownership.
mailund 2y ago
Having some amount of utility doesn't contradict it possibly being used for nefarious purposes by it's owners though. If I intentionally wanted to design an information warfare weapon, I'd make sure to sugarcoat it with interesting/funny/useful content to make it palatable. Just like putting the soldiers inside a giant wooden horse.
zht 2y ago
AR-15s can be used for hunting but it doesn’t mean it is always used for good
ffqqyyee 2y ago
> I can't believe how ignorant some people could be. Wow, it goes deeeeeeep.

by fqye 2y ago

z3c0 2y ago

Not that I really care enough to ban TikTok, but the value demonstrated here is pretty spurious. You could swap "TikTok" with "socializing", and I'm sure these people would've had similar outcomes.

mandmandam 2y ago
Socializing is indeed of great value to people; not at all spurious. You're helping prove OP's point. And OP didn't even mention all the small businesses that took off due to TikTok giving them an avenue. This notion that people have to dismiss TikTok as merely mindless dopamine is really just wilful ignorance.
- z3c0 2y ago
  My point is that none of this is truly dependent on the existence of TikTok, which OP does not be seeming to be arguing, even slightly. The internet is a revolving door of gathering spaces that enable people to do nice things for each other. People can do nice things for each other anywhere, even when surrounded by the digital equivalent of two-way mirrors.
paulryanrogers 2y ago
Citizens have a right to assemble and speak to each other. Foreign corporations don't have a right to own the feeds of huge swaths of the population. Hence the rules around newspaper and TV ownership.

mailund 2y ago

Having some amount of utility doesn't contradict it possibly being used for nefarious purposes by it's owners though. If I intentionally wanted to design an information warfare weapon, I'd make sure to sugarcoat it with interesting/funny/useful content to make it palatable. Just like putting the soldiers inside a giant wooden horse.

zht 2y ago

AR-15s can be used for hunting but it doesn’t mean it is always used for good

ffqqyyee 2y ago

> I can't believe how ignorant some people could be. Wow, it goes deeeeeeep.