TikTok & Media Consumption

It was the spring of seventh grade when I traded in my maroon hand-me-down LGenV for the iPhone 4s. I went from a flip phone with a little silver L charm and self-recorded ringtones (mine was “Forever & Always” by Taylor Swift) for what I saw as an iPod touch with cell service. How quaint?

I know, it’s kind of ridiculous— remembering when I got my first iPhone, especially because it was not even my first phone. But that is exactly the point, an iPhone was not my first cell phone.

When I was growing up, technology moved much slower than it does now. While the technological changes I witnessed were certainly monumental, they were not as frequent as they are now. Social media influencers were not seen as a norm or a real money-making opportunity because Instagram, YouTube, and other social media platforms were not nearly as saturated with users. I mean Facebook was the place to be when I was in the early parts of middle school. However, just as fast as Facebook blew up as the place to be in the sixth grade, it died. It quickly began to shift from posting funny statuses and pictures with friends to a place where people only logged on to dump a photo album and post their homeroom for the upcoming year. The beginnings of cultural change seemed to be taking place whether we were aware of it or not.

The rapid changes of social media and technology of 2010s paired with the fast access of information that we have grown accustomed to has shrunk our attention spans and created a culture of youth cynicism.

These changes to the culture of the younger generations then decides what’s in and what isn’t. Facebook doesn’t move fast enough and is filled with “boomers” while TikTok has quickly risen as omnipresent social media presence due to the short form videos and subversive humor. The format of TikTok feeds right into this new generational culture: it is fast paced, cynical, and creative. It reinforces the culture we exist in while also promoting the subversive humor our generation pushes.

Likewise, Instagram and Twitter continue to remain relevant for the same reasons. It is as if the apps grew up with us. Twitter began with similar status posting concepts that Facebook utilized but it has since shifted to be a place where news is shared, memes are spread, and jokes run rampant. It knowingly moved away from outdated entertainment. Instagram has seen a similar kind of shift. Instagram has shifted from artsy photos, awkward selfies, and #throwbackthursdays to more casual form of photo sharing that begins to feel more authentic and creative even while maintaining an “image.”

Just as we have been conditioned to be a little cynical, desire quick changes and innovation by the world around us, we have also managed to condition these apps to feed right back into that. I know I have grown not just accustomed to the rapidity of media but expectant of it. I grow bored easily of platforms, formats, content, and even creators. Society has seemingly grown to expect the same from us. We are always expected to be hustling and moving – staying ahead of the game. As we as individuals in society fall behind with trends, we begin to grow outdated and “old” in a similar way media forms do. Gen Z has set the new norm, and both social media platforms and society have to keep up with these new norms—unless they want to fall to way side.

By Lilly Delehanty

Duke Student, pink purveyor and resident expert on surviving and thriving.