Yeah I genuinely see no difference between tiktok and other social media. Everyone on reddit/lemmy loves to hate on tiktok I never really got why. If it's because of data collection they're doing nothing any different than Facebook, insta, etc. Now X, that's another story lol.
I think Western people just have a bias where it's fine if their own country does it, but when their boogeyman China is doing the same exact thing, it's all of the sudden scary and bad.
I, personally, think TikTok is not great for people or society, but I have the same exact feelings about Facebook, Instagram, and all of the major Western run social media stuff. TikTok is by no means any worse than them. For that reason, Lemmy is the only social media account I have at this point, but I dont judge anyone for using any of them. The majority of the people criticizing TikTok are hypocritical, for sure.
Yeah. All of these social media platforms are pretty bad. TikTok has been caught abusing android bugs, basically behaving like a virus. I'm sure the others have done something similar.
I agree! I think algorithms made with a profit incentive are harmful. I also think tiktok has been super impactful in a positive way to bring people together in a more human way than traditional sm allows for.
I dunno. It’s full of articles, I’m reading news constantly, I’m discussing social topics with—now that I think I about it, surprisingly level headed people sharing interesting opinions….i learn a lot here. Sure, I also get shown really stupid shit. But I spend the majority of my time reading stuff. And looking up other stuff when I discuss things. So I’d disagree. Respectfully. My good friend.
Everyone isn't addicted to social media, it's about learning to set clear boundaries. My wife has IG and a few times a week we'll watch reels on her phone before bed. We have a few laughs together and spend ten minutes on it tops. I consider it quality time and actually look forward to it.
All social media platforms are toxic platforms that rot your brain out, including this one. TikTok is not uniquely terrible, like every other platform, you have to curate a quality feed. My feed has a lot of language learning, history, and fiber arts. I prefer long form content, but sometimes I learn about California redwoods while praying on the porcelain throne.
I have concerns with children being on TikTok, but before it was TikTok it was iPad kids watching Elsa and Spider-Man pregnancy videos on YouTube. The problem is parental supervision.
While generally I'd agree with you, these apps are engineered to exploit human weaknesses to make a few people money and have real and measurable effects on the human psyche. From reduced attention spans due to short form or dense content, to problems with self-worth, these apps are literally bad for you if you engage with them a lot - which, again, they are engineered to get you to do. They are completely manipulative and not "just another fun thing".
You can also have fun by reading a book. Or making something. Or going out.
I watch a tiktok maybe once a day. The algorithm is mostly cooking and science for me. It's highly enjoyable content if you get past the noise and obviously don't overuse it. That can be said for any social media app, including lemmy.