Posted by Antiphates
TikToks utility is similiar to Youtube and has similiar risks and drawbacks.
No. Definitely Not. At least not the general version of YouTube - since more recently - they introduced a "Shorts" videos section - and that does resemblee Tik Tok. Point being - the general version (as we know it up this point) - does not revolve around short videos & dopamine manipulation (the core of Tik Tok's algorithm) - which is sure to fuck-up your brain long term (starting with your attention span). Tik Tok's algorithm has a lot in common with online gaming & gambling tactics - with the algorithm used to promote addiction, as in: the matchmaking system - "intentionally" hits you bad results multiple times in a row - only to do the opposite once in awhile (hits you with best results). Thus, you get your dopamine hit - which feels some how rewarding after scrolling through what you deem as boring or poor quality content (as selected by the algorithm - intentionally).
It also shows similar content - somehow similar to YouTube, the only difference (quite big - HUGE EVEN) - on YouTube most content is actually of similar nature (like 90% ). Not just random spikes - like Tik Tok. Not to mention - most YT videos are long enough - to keep your brain engaged at a somehow stable rate. And you can actually get quality content of your liking - multiple times in a row (even more than 90% your time spent on YouTube). Can YouTube be a waste of time (at least - non-productive)? Yes. Does it damage your brain like Tik Tok? No, if you use the same old YouTube as always - and skip the "Shorts (that newly introduced Tik Tok clone)".