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Comment by diggan | Hacker News Reader

Any parent (and even us non-parents who've spent a lot of time around kids) know that the best way to get teenagers to stop doing something, is to start doing it yourself. If you forbid them to do something, it's basically inviting them to try their hardest to do it anyways.

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This is exactly why I’ve started slinging gen alpha lingo at our daughters: even doing it jokingly makes them cringe enough to stop using it themselves.

Slay. No Cap, Fanum Tax that Skibidi.

Interesting that most of this "gen alpha" slang are phrases used by Black Americans for years

I do this to my son as well and I have to admit it is unreasonably effective.

This is how I got mine to stop saying slay, preppy and sigma. The look of horror and cringe on their face when I say crap like "skibidi ohio rizz" in front of them and their friends, is a chef's kiss.

There are tons of people over 30, 40, 50 even over 90 on TikTok.

That's true, but proportionally they're a vast minority.

The algorithm segregates based on physical features, which can make sure they don't see one another with frequency.

It's known to use facial recognition to boost videos of "beautiful people".

https://www.dexerto.com/tiktok/tiktoks-algorithm-prioritizes...

Not true at all. I see people of all ages.

It is likely targetted at specific demographics.

12-year-olds probably aren't getting the same 10-minute videos of auto insurance adjusters taking exceptional calls that I am. But they might if they're precocious.

I'd be very surprised if anyone on TikTok is getting 10 minute videos on anything.

I'd still be surprised, but less so, I'd auto insurance adjusters are taking the time to make short form content aimed at the 40+ audience.

https://www.tiktok.com/@claimslife1

Lawyers are getting in on it too. It's a major form of marketing for them now.

- Law by Mike (10M subs): https://www.youtube.com/shorts/meJA30cglvo

- Legal Eagle (3.5M subs): https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lgT4iZ9BYF8

- Ugo Lord (1.9M subs): https://www.youtube.com/shorts/I77J6n72Oto

- Attorney Tom (500k subs): https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kgLTqx2UFUk

- Mike Rafi (300k subs): https://www.youtube.com/shorts/znQgK6God2w

- CEO Lawyer (24k subs): https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RzqBiKLZNy4

Law by Mike puts some pretty incredible production value into their videos.

Sharing YouTube links because TikTok web isn't great and the links will likely stop working in a few days.

I watch at least 2-3 10 minute videos on TikTok daily, and a large number of 5+ minute videos! There's an amazing amount of good content, and once the algorithm hones in on what you care about it gets surfaced for you.

Can't say I have insurance adjusters on my FYP, but I think that speaks to the power of the algorithm's targeting far more than it does the lack of content.

Are those people also making posts like "I'd rather get shot by Mao than use Instagram Threads/Reels" right now?

Yeah… People just hate being told what they’re not allowed to do.

It's a very American attitude to rebel against the tyranny of the government, after all. Something about taxation without representation?

37 here and: yes.

Sure. People older than 30 also dislike when the government tries to censor their access to some media.

PG just wrote a blog, it shows the history of how students in the 1960s holding Mao's Red Book (pun intended) was the origin of the "woke" thing.

PG is full of shit. "Woke" originated within the black activist community and culturally goes back as far as the 1930s. It got adopted and became mainstream within the white liberal progressive community through the popularity of black music artists and social media in the late 20th century. It has absolutely nothing to do with Mao's Red Book or communism.

OK forget the "woke" thing here, let me rephrase, does the "1960s Berkeley protests" have a connection with

- Mao's Red Book, and

- the BLM/metoo/woke thing in the 2020s?

Maybe you could tell me what connection you want me to see?

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