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TikTok has turned culture into a feedback loop of impulse and machine learning

(www.thenexus.media)
292 points natalie3p | 1 comments | 10 Sep 25 16:08 UTC | HN request time: 0.203s | source
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atlintots ◴[10 Sep 25 16:31 UTC] No.45200124[source]▶
For me, the worst part is that it is so hard to go back to previous forms of media. I often delete these short form content apps in an effort to quit them, but it is now so difficult to get engaged with "slower" forms of media. The thing with Tiktok isn't the length of the media, it's just how fast-paced and "catchy" it is. I could watch an hour long fast paced video just fine, but watching a slow paced show, or reading a book is so much more difficult.

It truly is like a drug.

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mtalantikite ◴[10 Sep 25 16:36 UTC] No.45200203[source]▶
> I could watch an hour long fast paced video just fine, but watching a slow paced show, or reading a book is so much more difficult.

Attention and concentration are skills that can be trained, so not all is lost. I was feeling like I was losing my focus about a decade ago and decided that every morning I'd wake up and read a novel for 30 minutes or so. Within a few weeks you'll notice the difference.

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rrgok ◴[10 Sep 25 16:57 UTC] No.45200548[source]▶
I don't understand. The problem is not that we don't have attention or concentration. Otherwise how can he watch hour long fast paced video. This a different form of attention. I would like to call it the intensity of attention.

Reading a book, require attention but of lower intensity. While watching an hour long fast paced video, require a high intensity attention.

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1. mtalantikite ◴[10 Sep 25 18:03 UTC] No.45201483[source]▶
Well, one is active and the other is passive.

In the case of watching an hour of video, you're just there consuming what's going on. Reading a novel requires you to world build internally. I'd say that sort of attention is a much higher intensity version. Or at least it takes a lot more active involvement.

If you've ever sat for meditation you'll know that low-input stimulation can be much harder to keep your attention on, but being lost in daydreaming and 'monkey-mind' chatter is pretty effortless. Once you train in it it becomes no big deal, though. Same is true for reading novels.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23988110/