I have never been interested in short video platforms.
Short videos give me a sense of low quality. Although they can provide some creativity and entertainment to some extent, most of the time they lack thoughtfulness and seriousness. Compared to long videos, short videos lack completeness and coherence, and cannot reproduce the thoughts and inspiration of the creators.
In terms of media, I prefer text, as it can quickly convey the author's thoughts and intentions. In contrast, videos have much slower transmission efficiency, and if they lack a true theme and emotional conveyance, they can be boring and empty.
Furthermore, if a truly excellent short video appears, it will definitely be shared on other social media platforms, so there is no need to browse short videos like searching for a needle in a haystack.
The concept of information cocoon (known as filter bubble in English) has made me aware of its deep-level harm. Cocooning exists in any social media platform that uses algorithms to cater to user interests, but Douyin's cocooning brings greater harm.
Imagine being in a concert hall with two roles: performers and audience. Performers usually have a certain level of skill, while those without skills feel embarrassed or simply cannot perform, so they become the audience. Each performer plays their own music, but because the sound resonates throughout the concert hall, they can also hear each other's music. Therefore, the music played by the performers may become popular but homogeneous. However, as long as someone explores the boundaries of music and creates unique and innovative music styles, the average level of performers usually progresses.
Now, imagine if all the audience members also became performers: the average skill level of performers would decrease, and the concert hall would become chaotic. Ordinary people usually do not have a higher artistic appreciation ability than artists. If a low-quality, vulgar music style starts to spread like a virus, true performers will not be able to tolerate it and choose to leave, leaving behind a group of homogeneous individuals with mediocre artistic styles and similar thoughts. This group will find it difficult to make truly valuable contributions to culture.
Censorship mechanisms make the situation worse. The censors themselves lack sufficient cultivation, so they eliminate those who do not fit their preferences, especially minority groups in terms of ideas. In addition, state media intervenes and presents itself as an absolute authority, but the ideas it spreads are not conducive to cultural and social development, but simply serve the cold and rigid machinery of the state. Its existence directly leads to the assimilation of the entire user group, becoming slaves in terms of thoughts.
As individuals, although our power is small, it does not mean that things cannot change. We assume that readers are more eager to see social and cultural prosperity, and the improvement of social systems. If you agree with the statement "truth lies in the hands of a few," then you should pay attention to the voices of those who differ from mainstream views, minority groups, and explorers on the edge of civilization. At the same time, appreciate those who have different ways of thinking and reject those who lack critical thinking and blindly follow the crowd. Maintain your own unique thoughts and do not be bound by monopolistic thoughts from this world.