The news did it first

linguafranca@lemmy.world to Lemmy Shitpost@lemmy.world – 281 points –
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For people wondering:

On the left you see a format popular on tiktok, where a clip from a videogame, some ice cream video and a Family Guy clip share the screen, playing simultaneously.

On the right you see a news anchor with weather info, a ticker and stock data also sharing the same screen.

The tiktok format is supposedly for low attention span kids which (also supposedly) need three completely disconnected things happening on screen at once in order to not lose interest in the video. The other one is... the news as it is common in the US.

"They are the same": you could say that both of these formats serve the same purpose.

I knew of the TikTok thing, but not being from the US I had no idea your news broadcasts are so... cramped with information

They're not all like that. Most of the local newscasts show one thing at a time.

The format pictured is something I've only seen in places like a doctor's waiting room, or at my deranged uncle's house.

That or on the 24/7 news channels which need a lot of filler and don't necessarily have interesting stuff to show

That's exactly what my deranged uncle watches. It's not been good for his mental health imo.

No you don't understand it's TikTok which is ruining our kids!!!! Trump is right!!1!

It’s not the same, TikTok is shit content crammed into a very small box where as the bullshit on Fox and whatever else is bullshit crammed into a much bigger box.

Yeah they’re both fucking trash but they don’t have the same impact over a long term, but go off I guess

You should see the Japanese TV then. It's not only cramped, it's completely different programs at the same time. I don't even know what the reaction clips are reacting to or which is the main program.

Yeah that's not a news broadcast, that's cable TV news

This would only be the 24 hour “news” networks that deliver entertainment and opinion under the guise of factual information. Local newscasts don’t often do this. However there are some ownership groups out there that try to model themselves after the big cable companies.

Just so you're aware, the TV broadcast is (Canadian) CP24 Toronto, and they have this so that you don't have to wait through commercials and other random news segments to get weather, traffic, headlines and stock tickers. This is a common channel to have on in waiting rooms and the like.

Guess you exposed my european, millenial ass. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Thanks for the explanation. I thought it was six different low res images and no context.

First time on Lemmy?

Not currently on lemmy, have never been on lemmy, so still not the first time on it, no.

i think the phrase for the tiktok format is “content sludge”.

i saw an interesting video on it a while back: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OuaDbu_VBLY

id recommend the video to anyone looking for a thoughtful examination of why this format became so popular and widespread.

For those who still don't understand:

On the left side of the image, you will notice a prevalent format that has gained popularity on TikTok. It features a composition where a brief snippet from a video game, a delightful ice cream video, and a scene from the animated television series Family Guy coexist on the same screen, all playing simultaneously.

Conversely, on the right side of the meme, you'll find a news anchor delivering weather information, a continuous news ticker displaying various updates, and real-time stock market data, all competing for space on the same screen.

The TikTok format on the left is believed to cater to individuals with relatively shorter attention spans, particularly younger viewers, who supposedly require the simultaneous presence of three entirely unrelated elements on screen to maintain their engagement with the video content. On the other hand, the right-side depiction represents a quintessential depiction of the news presentation format that is commonly seen in the United States.

The phrase "They are the same" is a humorous commentary on the meme, suggesting that both of these seemingly disparate formats ultimately serve a similar purpose, albeit in very different contexts.

ChatGPT rewrite this already well laid out explanation

For those who might still be grappling with comprehension:

On the leftward portion of the provided image, observers can discern a particularly prominent format that has seen a meteoric rise in its acceptance and widespread use, especially on the social media platform known as TikTok. This format encompasses a unique assemblage wherein a fleeting segment extracted from a video game, a visually captivating video that showcases the delightful intricacies of ice cream preparation, and a notable moment extracted from the well-known animated television show, "Family Guy," are all juxtaposed to appear concurrently on a singular display screen, thereby playing in unison.

In stark contrast, if one directs their attention to the rightward section of the meme, it becomes apparent that there's a news anchor, immersed in the task of conveying meteorological updates. Accompanying this, there is an unbroken stream of a news ticker, diligently broadcasting a plethora of diverse news highlights. Additionally, there is a live feed that presents the ever-fluctuating dynamics of the stock market, with all these elements vying for visual dominance within the same confined screen space.

The format emblematic of TikTok, situated on the left, is postulated to resonate more with individuals possessing attention spans that might be characterized as being on the shorter end of the spectrum. This is especially true for the younger demographic, who, it's hypothesized, necessitate the concurrent exhibition of three wholly unrelated visual stimuli to sustain their levels of engagement and immersion in the digital content being consumed. Conversely, the representation on the right encapsulates the archetypal portrayal of how news is traditionally presented, a style that has become somewhat of a hallmark in the realm of American broadcasting.

The overlaying text, which reads "They are the same," provides a tongue-in-cheek commentary, insinuating that, despite their apparent differences in presentation and context, these two formats converge in their overarching intent and purpose, each catering to the specific needs of their respective audiences, albeit in divergent manners.

What is happening?

For those who, perchance, remain ensnared in a web of puzzlement and seek further elucidation:

Upon the immediate leftward expanse of the visually rendered image in question, astute onlookers and discerning individuals would undoubtedly identify a distinctive, yet increasingly ubiquitous format that has, with the relentless passage of time, surged forward, embedding itself deeply into the cultural zeitgeist, primarily through its proliferation on the digital social media behemoth known as TikTok. This inimitable format is a testament to the modern era's digital craftsmanship, where it harmoniously amalgamates a transient and ephemeral segment meticulously plucked from an interactive video game, an exquisitely framed visual documentation that indulges viewers in the delectable journey of ice cream artistry, and a poignant, perhaps even evocative, fragment extracted from the annals of the widely recognized and critically acclaimed animated television chronicle, "Family Guy." Astonishingly, all these disparate elements coalesce, seamlessly cohabitating the very same digital canvas, and serendipitously unfold in synchronized harmony.

Yet, if one were to meander their gaze, redirecting their ocular faculties towards the diametrically opposite side, specifically the rightward flank of this meme-centric artifact, a starkly contrasting tableau emerges. Herein, a seasoned news anchor, donned in professional attire, appears deeply engrossed in the solemn act of disseminating pivotal meteorological prognostications. In tandem, and perhaps adding to the sensory overload, a ceaseless and inexorable news ticker cascades downwards, acting as a conduit for a veritable cornucopia of timely news briefings. Augmenting this already bustling visual cacophony is a real-time, dynamic representation of the financial market's pulse, showcasing the capricious ebbs and flows of stock indices, all of which jostle, compete, and clamor for the viewer's fleeting attention within the confines of a singular, constrained screen territory.

The quintessentially TikTok-esque tableau, which graces the image's left hemisphere, is conjectured, hypothesized, and postulated to resonate profoundly with those individuals whose cognitive proclivities lean towards possessing what might colloquially be described as abbreviated attention durations. This observation rings particularly true for the more nascent generational cohorts, who, as prevailing societal narratives suggest, ostensibly require an intricate ballet of simultaneous, non-correlated visual stimuli to perpetually fuel and stoke the fires of their engagement and sustained interest in the ocean of digital content they so voraciously consume. In juxtaposition, the tableau on the right harks back to and encapsulates a time-honored, venerable modality of news dissemination, a paradigmatic archetype that has entrenched itself as an emblematic mainstay within the bastions of American televisual broadcast traditions.

The superimposed inscription, which succinctly proclaims "They are the same," injects a dose of sardonic wit, playfully insinuating that, beneath the veneer of their ostensible disparities in thematic content and contextual backdrops, these two visual formats, in their essence, might indeed be converging upon a singular, unifying teleological nexus, each meticulously tailored to satiate the nuanced appetites of their distinct viewership, albeit via markedly divergent stylistic avenues.

What prompt did you use? This is really well done for an AI

I just said "Can you rewrite this passage to be even more verbose? {your comment}" for the first one and then "Can you make it even more verbose? I'm going for excess levels of verbosity" for the second one. The very first line

For those who, perchance, remain ensnared in a web of puzzlement and seek further elucidation:

Had me fucking rolling lmfao

Thanks for that; I'm way too old for TikTok, so had absolutely no idea what I was looking at here.

Just one format uses spatial multiplexing, while other temporal multiplexing

i was about to ask what the fuck is happening

i hope these are just dont know what they are doing, aint no way people on tiktok have that much of a smoothbrain they need 3 videos at the same time

But it’s not tho, the news is cramming as much releavant information as possible on screen, it’s not there to captivate anyone