I have theories about why Shorts and Reels can never be cool and hip culture factories like TikTok, but I would like to hear other people’s theories as well.
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tiktok features i think add to this:
more invasive algorithm, mobile app prioritized, filters, 'suggested searches', multi post involvement things like stitches
TikTok's algorithm is like that one bff who hypes you up no matter what and pushes you to discover the world. Reels? It's like that toxic partner, keeps you in the same loop, believes the less you know, the better. My 2 cents 🤷♀️
Instagram reels shows me whatever Instagram wants to show me. TikTok shows me mostly what I engage with, and then some rage bait sprinkled in. And reels has a hostile vibe to it, which can be funny in a South Park kinda way but goes way to far mostly. TikTok is the bricks I build
The vibe on IG is different. People have main character syndrome and they make everything you post about them somehow. They’re kind of toxic. Rude. TT was more about having a good time. It was light and positive most of the time. IG feels like a high school cafeteria where everyone hates everyone.
I think tiktok's algorithm has a better idea about what I want to see. I also went on red note briefly, and their algorithm adapted very well to my tastes. Instagram shows a lot about what's trendy.
TikTok is about discourse, which is why the the duet and stitch feature are widely used. It’s not just about consuming the content like shorts and reels focus is, it is about interacting with the content. It started with dancing sure, but led to so much more than that
This 👆🏽 with the app I found it was more frequent to run across other users with similar interests and content, and not just shoveling users with large followers on the feed. Of course this takes some work and catering, but it gets there
The algorithm partially but it feels like the culture of instagram/reels is a lot more conformist in a way while TikTok you can do whatever and your niche audience will find you
Tiktok is where the funny people are. The culture is there, the algorithm, and the timing. It was the perfect storm. The other apps are full of ai and mean people
My theory is TikTok became a cool hip culture factory as soon as we started talking about banning it. Once it became at all “countercultural” in the sense that establishment voices cast aspersions, its users were willing to set aside the very real surveillance concerns and equivocate vs Reels etc.
It’s telling that only in the lameduck session has the argument gone mainstream that TikTok’s privacy concerns are shared by all the other platforms. If that argument had been run up the flagpole sooner we might have seen more momentum for a privacy law on the D platform instead of the rope-a-dope.
None of these apps do anything particularly special or even all that proprietary. It’s the users who bring everything to the table, right? And thus the users feel some ownership, but that’s an illusion. So it is with almost all social media, the users think it’s theirs bc they’re what is necessary.
I know it’s new, but do you have any ideas on what to do now? Not enjoying this feeling of silence & disconnectedness. Not feeling like giving musk or zuck attention currently either
Reels is 100% because it’s too linked to your irl connections. TikTok was shitposting out into the void and the algo serving it to the right people. Reels would result in people irl making fun of you for trying to put yourself out there.
Completely agree! SoMe in general has made me hyper selfconscious of what to post which takes away the fun of creating. It’s too time and energy consuming and doesn’t get anywhere. It went from user based to advertisements. I don’t think anything will ever get back to the social and connecting part.
I'm already seeing people say they followed TT creators on IG and already hate it because they're used to IG being real life or personal connections. But also seeing love for Shorts!
I made a separate IG account to follow my favorite TT creators specifically because I didn't want to lose my real-life connections in the mix, because they don't post nearly as often.
Shorts I used intermittently before all of this, it's much improved in just the last week, I don't know if they're tinkering with an algorithm or if the number of people posting there has increased
Shorts shows me things it *knows* I'll be interested in, whereas tiktok gives random stuff a shot sometimes and I end up learning about embroidery or coin collection. YT would never.
But also shorts sometimes shows me things I've already seen???
I’ve been studying up on how the TikTok algo actually works over the last few days, and this is where I ended up too. TT connects you with friendly strangers based on shared interests, insta shows you that you don’t have many shared interests with the people you already know.
It’s funny that facebook and instagram photos are useless because I just want to see my friends’ posts, and zuck says “absolutely not”, whereas instagram reels are useless because it’s just my friends’ posts.
After getting used to seeing & experiencing lots of engagement on tiktok, it feels so weird going back on insta & sharing w/ppl I know IRL & getting mostly radio silence! Like wtf y'all are supposed to be my friends
the over-moderation and newspeak (can’t say “gay” on TikTok, etc) added some kind of “illicit attraction” vibe. The ability to make reactions/sing-alongs/hot take replies in-app is a helpful prompt for “what to do with this vertical video machine.” Mostly, shorts and reels are half-hearted, though
Shorts and Reel’s audiences have an expectation of high production quality and formatting, whereas the TikTok audiences values authenticity over everything (not that it doesn’t exist on shorts or reels, it’s just not as raw).
Meta and Google weren't part of the counter culture of short-form content. They merely tried to adapt to it when it became profitable, and their algorithms favor profit. Tiktok, and vine before it, had a social atmosphere that isn't something you can copy and paste.
For me, Instagram & FB are places where your high school math teacher can see what you're up to. TikTok felt like a fresh slate & connected people based on interests rather than IRL networks like work/school.
Reels isn't monetized so there's no real incentive for creators to move there, and is too close to real-life connections. Shorts is *too* monetized so the content is much "cleaner" to try and keep your videos in the algorithm - "duds" hurt your exposure and therefore income much more.
My theory is that people making TikTok’s were being compensated to make their videos. I’m not sure how much one gets paid from Instagram or YouTube or Facebook for shorts. I find that TikTok’s were more current and updated while other platforms were playing “reruns”
TikTok started with young people, and therefore has its origins in current cool youth culture. Instagram has been around for long enough that its original young cool usebase has grown up and become adults (and therefore not youth culture cool anymore) Reels therefore are simply less cool.
I fully subscribe to the "app culture" idea. Instagram is heavily curated to show your best possible life to close/closer connections. Shorts on the other hand, is just clunky. If it has been a separate app, it would probably be decently popular
For me it’s because Instagram has always been about interacting with people you know while tiktok allowed me to interact with people I don’t personally know. Even if I can interact with reels of creators, everyone can see my likes on posts. On tiktok I didn’t have to keep up an image
Shorts and Reels were an afterthought and I feel there's a greater emphasis on general engagement when it comes to the algorithm whereas I feel I have to do more to get types of content to be pushed more regularly on TikTok, it's also easier to say you're not vibing with videos on TikTok
Reels never felt like the content was new or original, just a bunch of rips from other platforms like TikTok. YT Shorts are fine, but are mostly clips of the longer form videos, so why not watch the whole video?? Nothing has captured the same smooth, endless scrolling that TikTok gave us.
Reels is missing a basic feature: rewind. Three minutes into a five minute video if I miss something, i need to be able to rewind 20 seconds, not start the video completely over.
Part of it is def the fact that you downloaded TT for short-form video with a seperate algo from your other socials, while reels and shorts were just kinda there.
You go on shorts, and it's connected to your long form video algo, and reels didn't even have video so it had no clue what to do.
TikTok uses their algorithm to show you stuff you want to watch and then mixes in ads. Meta uses my data to show me nothing but ads to the point I miss things by people I actually know. Plus not being able to play a video at 2x and a pause button that barely works on Instagram make me hate it
I felt the same way!!! I’m so glad I got off Facebook it was more ads than anything. Like 4 ads to every post. Or suggested content that was nowhere near what I am interested in. Facebook thinks I’m a trad wife that loves sourdough
It's both the algorithm and people. It actually COULD become another TikTok but it would require carrying over the interaction data generated by how users used TT, the people using it that way, and the algorithm actually using the data properly. TT is not an anomaly. It's a flavor.
TikTok just made it so easy for anyone to create content , content that was relatable and allowed people to weigh in / interact in ways that shorts and reels can’t replicate :/
TikTok is outward facing content, insta/fb is to your “circle” at its core. Nothing is as connecting as TikTok for different groups to see the same information
Shorts & reels are like that parent that controls what's on the TV 90% of the time. TT was the cool aunt that let us explore our world, encouraged interests, challenged ideas, provided new opportunities, develop community, & hit us in the face with a brick of self growth & love
I seldom used tiktok. But I see reels of people showing you recipes, their cats, and silly animals. Tiktok seems more like people talking directly to you, as they show you recipes, their cats, etc... it's an overall different feeling. More personalized if you will. 🤷♀️
The interface is easier. The lack of effort to share or go on a doomscroll of your favorite clips, your favorite group of friends shared with you, is so perfectly simple. Also, tiktok algo seems to get clips to the right audience more consistently.
Imo bc short form video hits a unique sweet spot where you can be more lazy but at the same time more genuine/relatable. which results in you making more connections & have higher engagement with less initial effort. Once you start getting effort +being genuine you’ve got rocket fuel
Tiktok evolved around its users. It was a music/dance app that became a cultural hub or curated content. Shorts and reels are offshoots of other hubs (YT, IG) but they don't evolve around the users. They were simply afterthoughts to compete with tiktoks growing popularity.
There are three apps in-development prepping for beta testing on BlueSky right now. #facts We don't know what is truly possible yet. Our singular experience doesn't dictate the limitations of other minds and what they are capable of achieving. Won't know until the apps are rolled out. #patience
The way trends on TT would organically grow and then become all consuming for a week or two created this collective sense of community. No other app has been able to replicate that.
Shorts is too integrated. Especially on desktop, when you open a short-form vertical YouTube video, it takes you immediately to the Shorts UI, which is clunkier and less polished. YouTube Music works great as a standalone which I use regularly. I don't touch Shorts because it's just a nuisance
I think the tiktok content creators make trends and sub cultures on its own which is what makes it cool— because it makes you think you’re finding a community but it’s just a rebrand of an already existing community with -tok at the end. Shorts and reels have yet to build that they’re mostly random
People I’ve talked to who aren’t on TikTok assume that it’s similar to reels and that there’s a bunch of AI generated images and videos everywhere. And maybe there’s some on TikTok, but it definitely isn’t on my feed!
They’re supplemental. I don’t see conversations happening across the app the same way and I do think it’s partially algorithmic. Shorts pushes much older content that tries to redirect you to long form, reels tries to capture a zeitgeist elsewhere so it’s laden with reposts. Part of it is watch time
TikTok is intentional. You click on it for short form videos. Shorts and Reels is accidental. You're on youtube, and an interesting Short is on your page, so you click it, but your primary purpose on that app is to watch long form videos.
It just felt like tiktok was wide open and there was something new around each corner. The other platforms are similar but still just poor copies. It felt personal as well. I can't really explain it. Just felt more organic and less designed, less forced, less guided.
IG was to personal will TT was the void shorts arnt that bad but big corporations get the front of the line in youtube so you see that more then the stuff you want to.
TikTok facilitated ongoing conversations. You could video reply to comments or duet someone else's video. You could watch a Part One and rest easy knowing your feed would show you Part Two when it was ready.
Absolutely! I never felt like I had to save the video or remember to go back to see if part 2 was there yet. Especially if I liked the video, but even if I just watched the whole thing I could count on just swiping along and seeing part 2 sometime later
So you know how when a restaurant specializes in something but something in food culture becomes really "in," so restaurants add it to be trendy and make it seem like it's just as good as the real thing?
I made McPizzas! And soup, salads, fresh (not from frozen) biscuits, McLeans, fajitas, and breakfast burritos at McDonald's as a teenager in the late 80s/early 90s. Now I don't even go to McDonald's.
They didnt introduce it to sell a whole family pizza (they didn't make large pizzas), they did it to capture a family where everybody wanted burgers except one (who wanted pizza)
algorithm and anonymity. tiktok was a social platform that i didnt see a lot of my face-to-face friends/colleagues on, which gave it a more freeing aspect as someone who was in college when it was popularized. i see people i dont know, new community, no fear of in-person ridicule 🤷🏼♀️
The algorithm on fb and ig only push things that will make more money. Making it very hard for the average person to get seen. I follow hundreds of people on Instagram but I rarely see their posts over advertising. Also censorship, they sensor certain topics, key words and phrases
I believe you, all of you saying TikTok's algorithm actually works and gives you content you want ... I just can't imagine what I would want in that format. I joined IG to share art and commune with artists. I want still pictures. Now it's all reels.
I never took an interest in TT. I did YouTube heavily for about a year 2007-8. There was too much fighting in the comments. Surprised to hear comments are supportive on TT.
I look forward to reading your thoughts.
You always connect dots I know are connected, but I am not sure how. That is exactly how I feel today. I have this voice in the back of my head "This was a mass phy-op".
Well I know why Reels won't. Venture into the comments on Reels. They're truly the worst comment sections I've seen online in quite a while. Shorts are okay-ish but YouTube has made some weird decisions, neither fully integrating it with the rest of YouTube nor walling it off as its own thing.
Theres something to be said about how 'necessary' youtube feels compared to tiktok to have so when you opt in to something like tiktok you're happier to be there I think and the initial community worked hard to keep that feeling I think.
i was on yt shorts for the first time earlier and all it showed me was life or death rescue missions lmao i have no idea why that was pushed to me, but it’s terrible i wanted tiktok laughs lmao
I spent most of the last few days following my favorite TikTok accounts on YouTube. Then open Shorts to see videos from 2 years ago from people I don’t follow. Their algorithm is trash and probably on purpose. I hate it so much.
tbh i think im gonna end up spending more time browsing on reddit and less on fb/ig because the sponsored bs is getting out of hand...why waste time on there when i dont even see the stuff I follow and want!
otherwise i spend the rest of my time on YouTube playing stuff in the background while i work (so short form sucks for that). never really made it over to tiktok (short form vid doesnt really interest me)
It’s the community that was built on TikTok. However I have to admit my feelings were hurt by just how we are all grouped as “dumb, loud, Americans”. I mean I see it but I’m not with stupid!
Facebook and Instagram were built with the intention of connecting with people you know, and their algorithms haven't swayed too much from this. TikTok was always for finding like-minded people that you didn't know
Shorts and Reels are about connecting you with people in your circle. TikTok was about connecting you with others outside your circle, and creating new circles, and also expanding your circles.
1) Two main theories: Tiktok is better at figuring out what will keep you there - YouTube is used to having half an hour or more of watch time to analyse per video, so isn't able to properly analyse short form video. More importantly, people chose to consume short form video by going to TikTok.
2) In the case of shorts and reels, these features were forced onto users that were not there for short form video. In the case of insta, it was too long, most users intending to simply flip through photos. On YouTube, the problem is the opposite - the expectation is content to sink your teeth into.
Oh yeah running theory on this is that they feel like a marketing trap. As a person in marketing the length and general vibe of reels and shorts are just that. Marketing. TikTok felt more real. It felt authentic. Public trust is at an all time low. Either with or without the ban, damage was done.
It’s for the kids! Once the adults took TikTok, the kids needed a kiddie table and they took everything else for themselves and left us alone to terrorize each other 😂
I have two theories. One, the algorithm on TikTok is different. Two, TikTok attracts a different type of audience. One that is collectively caring, entrepreneurial, thrives on learning, and is open minded.
I never used Reels but the introduction of Shorts as a longtime YT user felt annoying more than anything. I don’t _think_ I was the only one thinking that way. My kid loves shorts but I think the older YT audience has been fairly hostile to them, which can’t help.
While the algorithm certainly isn't the same, I'd argue the interactions leave much to be desired as a result too. Less sense of community, more bullying, etc.
Also, anyone, anything could go viral. That was the best part, you could have your 5 minutes of fame and move on. Not to mention how many songs and artists I have found. It’s great to find the vibe of what music you’re looking for without even trying because I built my FYP brick by brick.
IG doesn’t work for small “creators”.The whole point of TikTok is to post for engagement but real emotional engagement. IG feels both fabricated and for close friends but not for strangers to become close friends or appreciate cool people and ideas, whatever cool was to you, there’s a person there.
I think part of the reason that TikTok works is that it promotes specific niche content to its respective audience, whereas reels shows you what your friends like and shorts shows you what’s popular. That’s been my experience anyway.
Because Instagram and YouTube's brands are not short form video. The brand of TikTok was quirky short videos. That is what pulled people to the app. That is not what people first think of when they think of Instagram or YouTube. Mobile apps are all about doing 1 thing really well, that' their brand.
Reels seemed to be so far beyond with month old memes & the comment sections are mean as hell, YouTube just has different standards & norms, you have to have a lot more polish and structure to make a good YT vid so something short/casual/unscripted just feels wrong for the platform
Its authenticity, community, and a flash in the pan of newness. MySpace-Facebook-digg-vine-reddit-TikTok. It’s where current/alive things happen in communities you can adopt as your own. There has to be a critical mass of content generation to really take off.
It’s very toxic. It may be the circles I’m in, I get a lot of marriage/mom content and the comment sections😳 Very much show the divide in ideology between large swaths of women and men.
They’re fine if you want to be bombarded with vitriol, but I just didn’t see that in the same way on Tiktok.
Shorts has the same algorithm that wants you to create CONTENT & the browsing is so archaic. It's hard to find things I'm actually searching for instead of the same 10 videos and shorts every time. Reels is from IG where everything must be CURATED to be perfect & create envy.
Both also don't really show me what I want, it's what the app wants me to see. TikTok genuinely feels more community driven and the algorithm is so hair trigger sensitive, but I'd say the success rate of showing me things I actually want to learn or that I'll like is in the majority.
Shorts works well. Reels is TT from wish. It's not meant to be navigated by the user, you're only supposed to follow the all knowing algorithm facebook just sucks.
Tik Tok has educational value. I learned so much about so many different things. I didn’t post much on TT but the few times I did it got thousands of views vs the 20 on IG. We were all equals on the fyp.
The glamour isn’t sustainable or attainable.
Shorts isn’t current enough/too delayed.
Reels are a highlight montage with full-on production/fabricated videos.
TikTok was more raw/unfiltered and it was for anyone and everyone.
Not to mention the algorithm knew us better than we knew ourselves.
The culture was less curated on TikTok. You could post makeup less videos without judgement. You could curse. You could be silly. You didn’t have to stick to a niche. It was freeing. The other apps seem to want you to stay the same.
I agree with the folks saying they haven’t seen people “talking to the camera” on Reels. Almost feels like the algorithm isn’t … pushing out our thoughts as freely …
The different algorithms prioritize different things. The YT Shorts promotes heavily scripted stuff that pushes people to full length videos, while Tiktok (pre ban) allowed unfiltered POV
The shorts algorithm isn’t very good. I’ve spent a week on shorts and I’m still sifting through posts I don’t care about. Which you would think YT could handle better but…
Two thoughts. 1) intermingling of content format is sometimes undesirable. The Venn diagram of people I want short form from and the people I want long form from is not a circle. 2) Reels is overrun with advertising that makes it difficult to take in authentic content even if you are able to /1
All the apps just copy each other now. Just a bit ago they all had to have stories, now it's short form video content... I feel like people see through that so the copycats get underutilized. Maybe that's part of it?
Even if the algorithm gets better, it feels so clunky to use shorts (I don’t have IG so I don’t know about Reels) like there’s just enough of a delay to make it feel so unoptimized. TikTok for me feels so smooth, they somehow preload videos enough to be seamless
Both shorts and reels feel poorly put together second thoughts to compete with tiktok. It's like both companies thought we only liked seeing the videos.
And shorts is all TV show and content stealing slops, and reels is... no pausing slop.
I guess for the most post People just hate meta especially since it's known they bribed congress to ban tiktok, and into YouTube shorts tend to be annoying. And both don't pay well to the creators
I don’t think we will have to find out. I imagine the ban will only be temporary. But if I had to guess at it, I could see instagram taking over. That might be part of the reason why zuck is supporting the incoming administration so vehemently. Could be a huge payout coming.
I like to describe the TikTok algorithm like a magical library or bookstore where you sit down at table and there is a pile of all sorts of different media. You interacted with that media and organically more that same media came your way mixed with new stuff. Everywhere else you have to seek it out
- I want to see my friends on Insta and FB
- YouTube is almost the opposite, I only want to see the creators I've follow
- TikTok put me in communities I didn't even know I wanted to be in and kept me up to date with minimal effort on my end
While AI slop and low-effort content indistinguishable from AI slop certainly exists on TikTok, I feel like there have been more people desiring the platform to have more meaning and trying to build community. Reels was designed to be a slop hose from its inception.
Maybe ease of engagement and ability to build niche and intersecting communities? I think that is what Twitter had and it scared governments after the Arab spring. Bluesky is capitalizing on this void. Focusing on being community and creator driven vs manufacturing "desirable" engagement thru bots
I think it’s the algorithm. Reels just shows me people who look like me. Tiktok is diverse and the algorithm expands on that and shows you a variety of creators and content
For me I've noticed three things: the algorithm is not nearly as personalized, and there is not enough alloted time on shorts and reels, and shorts and reels have extremely limited interaction options. Where TT has stitch, duet, repost, etc.
I've noticed this, too. Even if I only like enjoyable, fun things I will eventually stumble on something that is similar but purposefully rage bait, and it'll start pumping put regardless of my interactions. YT just is random. And Insta definitely is reading our messages or something.
Reels and Shorts both have the huge PR problem of being obvious trend chasing cash grabs by big companies trying to get a little of that TikTok mindshare and therefore money
Meta based apps emphasize selling the user, also along with YouTube goes to shock and extreme content, or the same creator not necessarily topic or branching topics.
Facebook and Instagram are all about connections to the people you know directly. TikTok was a place to match what you already liked about those people to show you more.
This. And they don’t seem to take into account the hashtags used on the videos you like. When they try to push others to you, it seems those are more location based, not based on topics.
I agree, but do we want them to be using our location data to tell internet strangers where we live and work? I've met many incredible friends online but it did scare me when I moved somewhere new and made my friends off TikTok.
Decades of meta implementing the most toxic social media policies has yielded them an ugly, vapid, and cruel user base. There is no reason to visit any meta platforms any more.
I honestly think TikTok just had a better algorithm. You like one tennis reel and Instagram will be filled with tennis reels you don’t care about. No matter how many shorts I watch YouTube just recommends me the most generic shit. But TikTok always seemed to understand what I wanted to watch.
And the way it casually introduced me to things I never would have thought to go looking for 🥲 it was like my algo and I discovered new things about me together
It’s also much easier to manipulate, which gives more transparency and control. If I want to see discourse on a certain current event and it’s not coming up on my FYP, I just need to search for it and watch and engage with a few videos before more videos start showing up on my FYP. When I tire of
that topic, I just swipe past a few videos about it without watching through or engaging, and that topic stops showing up on my FYP. It feels like it’s working with me instead of against me.
I think TikTok's format is just better. Full-screen, doesn't have tons of annoying pop-ups, and keeps you on the video you're interacting with without auto playing something else. It's easy to scroll to more content you like and scroll past content you don't like. Plus the editing features 👌
THIS! I can't watch Reels because there's so much text on top of the video, I can barely see it, even worse when there's text on the video, and it's hidden behind the interface icons/text
Sadly, I'm still a social media manager. In my opinion, Meta is now primarily an AI/VR dev, and their value is tied to those investors. They have spent years trying to shoehorn IG and FB into the entertainment category, to compete with YT and then TT, ignoring that their users were there 🧵
to connect with friends. They fractured the social aspect, and any feelings of the much-coveted 'authenticity.' IG and FB are now mostly legacy products being used as proving grounds for AI. With few mods, and even crap AI being boosted, Reels will now get even worse. (TikTok, however, is an
TikTok felt pseudo anonymous. Not connected to our already curated life we show to our peers. Allowed us to be raw and really open up. Also, when I scrolled I could really tell my interactions with certain videos curated my feed.
The fact that it started with dancing, music, fun, being weird, being yourself… then evolved into something where the rest of us could talk about anything, while still being fun and weird. Also, trends. They make people feel like they can participate/be involved
I agree. Tiktok evolved naturally into what it is today where as other platforms adopted short form video to compete where it wasn't already built in. Also Tiktoks algorithm put it so far ahead of the other apps because of how it connects with its users.
Reels and Shorts aren’t willing to be timely and chronological. Shorts works for about 3 videos, then descends into something random like a flip phone video from like 10 years ago
throwing my two cents in, Mr Green, it could be that tiktok was entirely short-form content, as opposed to shorts and reels, which seem like add-ons to an already established system. it would be like if you saw text posts on Netflix, like yea that's cool but not what the space is for? perhaps?
You mentioned in a YouTube video how you know “somethings TikTok wants. They aren’t hiding it”. Expanding on that the creator ecosystem: TikTok has fostered a unique creator community with its own trends, challenges, and subcultures, which Shorts and Reels struggle to replicate authentically.
And groups. I can't find any other good platform for like homeschooling or auDHD support groups or local event and news groups. Fb is awful but it's done a really excellent job at the "make yourself irreplaceable" concept. My city is too big for a paper or signage for events or groups, so FB.
My dad's side of the family is almost 100 people, we use groups for planning family functions but yes it also makes it easier to find specific groups for hobbies and interests
Yup, they've found an amazingly necessary niche other platforms haven't been able to fill yet. It's also one of the only ones I know you can have a variety of privacy settings, post text, pics, links and video and have an extremely generous work count without it being a hassle. Pages vs groups too
Things could be done in private. I could like a TikTok about the worst thing possible and it would never be known. I like a Reel and it’s recommended to my friends and displayed that I liked it. I feel like the app was more private and had options to be more private or public.
Also, ads on the platform did not feel like adds. Magic John and Coolwell had entertaining apps, unlike the ones we see on every other platform. And some adds didn’t even feel like traditional advertising. The video would be descriptive and entertaining like the Bloody Tints.
Does Shorts even have the ability to do video stitches or video replies to comments? I don't know - I've only watched maybe a dozen Shorts, and most of those have seemed like they've been edited down from multiple TikTok videos.
Tiktok's algorithm doesn't push rage bait, which leads to less angry hateful comments. Metal loves angry clicks and engagement. It's seems like it wouldn't be a friendly environment to creators.
I think it's because they are on a platform which wasn't originally meant for this type of short form content. which means they usually aren't implemented as well, I mean reels are absolutely horrible to use in my opinion.
TikTok users valued original content that was instantly accessible and easy to navigate. It was fast AND fresh. So much of the content on other apps is regurgitated (stolen), pretentious and/or the functionality was clunky. Keep it simple. Reward good content. Create community. They will come.
Reels/Stories prioritize established accounts who already have a large following and/or buy ads. Tiktok puts people on a more level playing field and so you can discover new artists. You also don't need to actively "engage" with a post to train Tiktok's algorithm -- it knows what you're watching.
What I want to watch on YT is different from what I want to watch on TT. There is some overlapping content. But shorts influence your normal recommendations on YT.
And just never really been a fan of Instagram or Meta.
They aren’t stand alone. You have to find them within other apps. But the algorithm is trash in reels. I’m a wildlife photographer & reels kept showing me graphic videos of wildlife attacking pets. Still have ptsd.
TikTok thrived on a mix of skipable ads & creator commissions mixed w/ personal videos, connecting viewers thru their daily lives. Meta is just a marketplace. It's purpose is to sell you something whether it was to follow their page or buy their stuff, there's no drive for personality just profit.
TikTok starts with people you don’t know. Reels and Shorts are based in apps that put “follow” first and “discover” second. They’re not set up for novelty or vitality the way TikTok is.
Bc the algorithm isn't set up to push semi random content, only big names with many views. That's what made TT different. Anyone had a chance of connecting.
To say something I haven’t seen mentioned, there’s a lot more junk in Reels because every video automatically turns into a reel. Getting a junk video on TikTok was uncommon, usually when I was scrolling for too long, but I get weird junk videos all the time on Reels which turns me off of scrolling
It's like the difference between fast food and a gourmet restaurant. Shorts and Reels are meant to be mass-produced and consumed by as many people as possible. Where on tiktok you were more easily able to produce something niche and trust it would find your audience
And because the algorithm was so adept at sending the right content to the right people, the comment sections were more positive or at least on point. It was perfect, and there were still tolls, but it was better.
Comments
more invasive algorithm, mobile app prioritized, filters, 'suggested searches', multi post involvement things like stitches
Please hold out for @skylight.social so that you can OWN your content and stop selling your soul (and your content) to billionaires.
But also shorts sometimes shows me things I've already seen???
get your shit together, mark
TikTok learned my interests *fast* and sent me so much great new and relevant content.
It took months to train Shorts to show me what I wanted. It’s gotten better, but it still has annoying issues.
You go on shorts, and it's connected to your long form video algo, and reels didn't even have video so it had no clue what to do.
Like restaurants with too many menu options, they can’t specialize.
The fyp was a trusted source of new creator discovery which exposed us to interesting worlds we never knew.
A mix of music, lexicon audio, and cultural conversation.
TikTok is intentional. You click on it for short form videos. Shorts and Reels is accidental. You're on youtube, and an interesting Short is on your page, so you click it, but your primary purpose on that app is to watch long form videos.
Reels and shorts are McPizza
You always connect dots I know are connected, but I am not sure how. That is exactly how I feel today. I have this voice in the back of my head "This was a mass phy-op".
tikotk wasnt the first, but it was one of the only ones at the time, vine was dead, snapchat was diffeernt and also an entirely different userbase etc
They’re fine if you want to be bombarded with vitriol, but I just didn’t see that in the same way on Tiktok.
#YouTube #Shorts
Shorts isn’t current enough/too delayed.
Reels are a highlight montage with full-on production/fabricated videos.
TikTok was more raw/unfiltered and it was for anyone and everyone.
Not to mention the algorithm knew us better than we knew ourselves.
And shorts is all TV show and content stealing slops, and reels is... no pausing slop.
Also, TikTok laser focused on short form video. Adding it into platforms like IG and YT just felt like kitchen-sink product development.
We need a decentralized short form video platform.
- YouTube is almost the opposite, I only want to see the creators I've follow
- TikTok put me in communities I didn't even know I wanted to be in and kept me up to date with minimal effort on my end
My answer: the algorithm was more aligned with community interests versus advertiser interests.
That's it, that's the...skeet. I really hate that word.
Goddamnit Hank, YOU taught me that
Plus the vibes are just wrong
Shorts and Reels don't know how to stand aside and allow the line bewteen influencees and influencers to blur.
Vine also was cool while it lasted
And just never really been a fan of Instagram or Meta.