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Comment by m0xte | Hacker News Reader

52 minutes a day is average engagement. 800M users. 32,000 man years or 400 human lifetimes of attention wasted every day (if I got my mathematics right).

We could be colonising mars or something instead of watching short videos of something totally ephemeral. And I’m sure in time it will be used much like Facebook to polarise people.

Then again I’m shitposting on HN so perhaps I’m just a hypocrite :)

Edit: the colonising mars thing was facetious and I probably should outline that. The issue is that our attention and mental health is more valuable than wasting on these shitty platforms.

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Eh, you can argue the same about people taking a bit of time off to relax, watch TV, play videogames, and yes, shitpost on HN, what's the difference? Let's take TV more specifically. I'd say that it may be better than watching TV, at the very least.

Must produce. Must create value. Life worthless if no create value.

Seriously, let people have their free time why don't you. A lot of the western world is already half stuck in deadass jobs they hate, getting barely enough money to get through life so they can have the privilege of working more. It's quite something to read, on HN, in a place that has a majority of people lucky enough to not be stuck in that kind of life, judgement on how other people spend their free time instead of "colonizing Mars".

In my opinion humanity has put in the effort to get first world countries running water, sewer systems, electricity, access to the internet - all luxuries that a lot of the world can not afford. Because we don't have to worry about these things, I believe we are obliged to spend time to problem solve and tackle the biggest challenges the world has today - and not waste it watching 200 8 second videos before -- drooling off to sleep -- (not the best way to put that)

Do you even sort of hear yourself?

You know the two aren't mutually exclusive?

And what do you, dear commenter, exactly do before drooling off to sleep that is so much more productive? Seriously hope it's not watching Netflix, wasting your time reading fiction, or God forbid, spend time on social media such as HN.

Wake up, tackle the biggest challenges the world has today, go to work, go home to do some more tackling in your free time up until you fall asleep.

If I sound annoyed, I am. This is what privilege looks like: people who have it easy in life, judging the fuck out of people who don't and aren't "doing their part".

I don't use tiktok for what it's worth and I don't care if it disappears, but jeez, attitude.

You are right. "Drooling off to sleep" is a condescending way to put it. I don't want to be condescending - my goal is not to judge people who don't have it easy in life. However, I think it is important that the people who do have it easy in life to realize that, realize the luxuries that they have and not take them for granted. I want people to utilize the resources they have to do good in the world.

But thank you. I should be more empathetic

Yeah you're right but staring at 30 second clips of better lives than your selected by algorithm to bias your mind in some way to perpetuate either the existence of the platform or the product being sold is part of the downward spiral. At some point it becomes compulsion rather than choice. That's mental slavery by shitting in your head and I will judge that with extreme prejudice.

> Yeah you're right but staring at 30 second clips of better lives

That's instagram. TikTok is about average people having normal lives doing funny skits, often making fun of their own hardship rather than bragging about how they're living the high life as in other social medias.

That's your bubble. I've seen other people's and it's not. Instagram is worse I agree.

There are people flexing indeed and it shows up in my bubble too but I would say average people doing funny skits is what defines TikTok and what made it so appealing to many and still makes up the biggest part of TikTok content.

So for what it's worth I deeply agree with your edit of your above post. I just dislike putting the onus on the users themselves rather than the platform.

> A lot of the western world is already half stuck in deadass jobs they hate, getting barely enough money to get through life so they can have the privilege of working more.

Two wrongs does not make a right.

Exactly. Humans are incredibly capable of solving major problems if we have a desire and urge to solve them. This whole instant entertainment phenomenon is sucking the human desire to change out the window. "Is your life hard?" your phone asks. "Well just reach into your pocket and forget all of your problems! Be entertained instantly! Don't worry about fixing your problems, just forget them!"

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