What started as a place for teens to do sub-60-second dance routines somehow became one of the most influential ephemera of the 2020s, and wherever we go on the internet these days, we can usually see a trace of the clock app. TikTok is the place that made us accept short-form video as the default mode of online content that is easy to scroll through for hours on end, and its impact shows no sign of letting up.
People have realized that the most consistently effective way to get attention on social media is to regularly post videos of themselves, and TikTok is the most obvious vehicle for doing that. We are now in an era where everybody can give themselves the benefits and drawbacks of online celebrity if they just know how to correctly game the algorithm (or they get lucky). Potential niche internet microcelebrities are everywhere, and every last one wants to give us a piece of their mind.
While it can sometimes get exhausting to be constantly exposed to new, random individuals via video, it is also true that the novelty of their unique viewpoints never truly wears off. There is always something new to consider, or some weird happening to be amused by. These people are giving up their valuable time and energy to entertain us, so the least we can do is find a moment to appreciate that. If nothing else, it can be quite entertaining.