Sludge content
Sludge content (also known as content sludge and overstimulation videos[1]) is a genre of split-screen video on the social media platform TikTok.
Characteristic of sludge content is unrelated, attention-grabbing side content, meant to increase viewer retention.[2] Common attention-grabbing videos include repetitive mobile gameplay (notably of the endless runner mobile game Subway Surfers) and ASMR/oddly satisfying clips.[3] Sludge videos typically feature one panel of main content with audio, often copyrighted material. Common copyrighted material include television episodes (notably of the adult animated television series Family Guy),[4] Reddit posts read by an artificial voice,[2] and videos made by other TikTok users.[3]
Sludge content has been labelled as overstimulating and addictive.[1][3][5] The genre has been described as reflecting and contributing to declining attention spans,[5][3] though these interpretations have been criticized.[3] Sludge content may also lead to normative dissociation, which can be soothing.[6]
Origins and appeal
[edit]The concept of sludge content originates with methods used to subvert copyright detection tools, particularly on Family Guy "funniest moments" compilations on YouTube.[3] Editing techniques such as frequent jump cuts, overlaid unrelated clips, and cropping have increased the longevity of copyright-violating videos on YouTube.
The proliferation of sludge content has been attributed to its ease of creation and its profitability.[7][3] TikTok's "duet" feature, in which a creator can post a video side-by-side with a video from another creator,[8] has been cited as priming viewers for this form of multitasking.[3] Users have noted the proclivity of TikTok's recommendation algorithm to increasingly show such videos to users; the process of steadily consuming more sludge content has been popularly described as a "pipeline" (often called the "Family Guy pipeline" due to the series's ubiquity in such content).[4][7][9] Sludge content has also been described as a form of escapism.[10]
Psychologist Natalie Coyle analyzed the videos and determined that the external media increases receptiveness through the concept of "visual tactility".[11] Digital media researcher Bjørn Nansen opined that the phenomenon should not be unexpected given the prevalence of media multitasking outside of TikTok.[12]
Impact
[edit]SYBO Games, the developers of Subway Surfers, referenced sludge content on the TikTok account for the game and attributed Subway Surfers' resurgence to sludge content.[2]
Accounts from content creators including British power metal band DragonForce, political commentator Hasan Piker, and Andrew Tate have posted videos on TikTok featuring sludge content.[13][14] Companies, including Visible, Pepsi, and Tums, have used sludge content in advertisements.[15] The New Zealand National Party used sludge content to promote their policies in the 2023 general election.[16]
A 2020 study found that engaging with various digital media on multiple devices simultaneously may worsen attention and recall in young adults.[17] Concern has been raised over the popularity of such split-screen content with young children in Generation Alpha.[18]
See also
[edit]- Algorithmic radicalization
- Brain rot
- Collage film
- Content farm
- Corecore
- Digital media use and mental health
- Problematic social media use
- Remix culture
- Second screen
- Slop (artificial intelligence)
References
[edit]- ^ a b Mattson, Anna. "Sludge Videos Are Taking Over TikTok--And People's Mind". Scientific American. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ a b c Winslow, Levi (February 2, 2023). "The Truth Behind Those Wild TikTok Videos Meant To Hack Your Attention". Kotaku. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Castello, Jay (March 24, 2023). "TikTok's sludge content isn't just for short attention spans". Polygon. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- ^ a b Dazed (2023-03-09). "A deep dive into the Family Guy TikTok Pipeline". Dazed. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ a b "'Sludge content' is the latest form of escapism on TikTok". NBC News. 2023-04-26. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ Mattson, Anna. "Sludge Videos Are Taking Over TikTok--And People's Mind". Scientific American. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ a b D'Anastasio, Cecilia (February 3, 2023). "TikTok's Subway Surfers Videos Signal Demise of Our Attention Span". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ "Duets | TikTok Help Center". support.tiktok.com. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ Dazed (2023-03-09). "A deep dive into the Family Guy TikTok Pipeline". Dazed. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ "'Sludge content' is the latest form of escapism on TikTok". NBC News. 2023-04-26. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ Winslow, Levi (February 2, 2023). "The Truth Behind Those Wild TikTok Videos Meant To Hack Your Attention". Kotaku. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- ^ Castello, Jay (March 24, 2023). "TikTok's sludge content isn't just for short attention spans". Polygon. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- ^ Castello, Jay (March 24, 2023). "TikTok's sludge content isn't just for short attention spans". Polygon. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- ^ Falcon, Russell (January 13, 2024). "What are 'sludge' videos on TikTok? Are they harmful?". KTLA.
- ^ Falcon, Russell (January 13, 2024). "What are 'sludge' videos on TikTok? Are they harmful?". KTLA.
- ^ "Political advertising on social media: sludge or copyright quagmire?". Hudson Gavin Martin. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
- ^ Mattson, Anna. "Sludge Videos Are Taking Over TikTok--And People's Mind". Scientific American. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ Singh, Anita (2023-03-29). "Quarter of 5-year-olds watch TikTok videos that 'blur fact and fiction'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2024-11-12.