Hacker News Reader

Hacker News

Comment by user_named | Hacker News Reader

Parent Full thread

user_named

Yes, tiktok is not a social platform. It is an entertainment platform where the content is user generated.

View on HN

It’s social media vs social networks.

Facebook, SnapChat and Instagram are social networks.

YouTube, TikTok, and Reddit are social media.

Tiktok is not social media at all. It's an entertainment platform.

> Tiktok is not social media at all. It's an entertainment platform.

Plenty of social interaction happens in TikTok comments and DMs. If Instagram is social media, so is TikTok.

One of best features of TikTok is how easy it is to create your own content. You don't even have to think about it: just duplicate what another video is doing with exactly the same moves and exactly the same music. In that sense, it's definitely social media, since almost everyone on that platform is also a creator.

I think it's worth re-evaluating the use of the word 'creator' if people are uploading a video that's 90% copy/paste of something else.

At best its grist for the content mill. Cheap animal feed to fatten the livestock and attract the eye of advertisers.

Isn't Instagram also social media? Or why do I keep hearing influencers being there? Isn't that one of the features of social media?

Instagram can be used without seeing any influencers, it allows you to stick to the content your interested in. In my case, I'm able to just see Evangelion memes from accounts I follow and the occasional ad.

That's just the "following" section of TikTok, which only shows content of those you follow.

Potato vs. Potato

I see Instagram as social media, not social network.

I have no IRL links to any of the accounts I'm following on Insta. I'm interested only in seing beautiful pictures (and not awful "reels").

user generated content, like the way youtube used to be

Aren't there TikTok houses, for people who dedicate their career to making tiktocks?

That's the same as the established YouTube creators

It’ll happen to TikTok too, if it hasn’t already.

Youtube content is generated by its users

I listen to my favorite music on youtube all day. None of that is user generated I would say.

For smaller indie bands, it's not uncommon for members to hang out in the comments of their videos.

You miss out so much

I do pause the youtube music from time to time to listen to other videos. But I use youtube mainly as a spotify substitute.

I agree. That’s a great way of putting it.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com