Down the Tik Tok Drain

I spend a lot of time on my I-Phone. We still subscribe to the anemic local newspaper, but I get most of my news and information from the likes of CNN, NYT, WSJ and the Oregonian. Specialized apps for weather, banking, real estate listings, shopping, music, sports, dining and travel get regular attention. Social media is also part of the mix: FB, X, and IG. But eclipsing them all is the amount of time I find myself spending on Tik Tok.

Tik Tok, a vast repository of short video clips, is by far and away the most addictive of the many apps on my phone. Content creators or influencers of every conceivable strip post videos that run the gamut of human interest and activity. An algorithm that purportedly tracks the videos that you like or “follow” steers more and more like content to your feed. Tapping in and visually consuming these curated clips is like popping a Doritos chip into your mouth only to discover 30 minutes later that you’ve consumed the entire Costco-sized bag of nacho cheese wafers. You just keep scrolling up, feeding another and then another piece of video crack straight into your brain stream.

I will pause here to say that this post is not a moral commentary on Tik Tok, nor the obsessive scrolling that can result from its use. To my way of thinking, it’s not any different than video gaming, streaming marathons, Pokémon, anime, YouTube, working out, etc. or any other activity that engenders compulsive behavior. Pick your poison. There are lots of them to choose from.

Instead of trying to argue that Tik Tok off is another sign of the degenerative depths to which our society has sunk, I’d like to list some ways in which the app has enlightened me:

• I now know more about miniature Highland cows than I ever thought possible. These bovines are so cute that it’s impossible to avoid an extreme compulsion to acquire acreage and put some of these charmers to pasture. I actually donated some money to a couple who wanted to build a new barn for two cows and a duck (favorites include: brehillboyette).
• I know a lot more about cattle ranching and farming in the Midwest. There is something beautiful about watching combines move through vast fields harvesting corn, beans, wheat, etc. How do those grain cart drivers position their vehicles alongside the combine to receive the crop while on the move (favorite: kates_ag)?
• Who knew that so many young farmers are women who have decided to carry on the family tradition? They have an interesting take on what modern farming is all about (favorites include: laurafarms. ashleybinger, nyfarmgirls)
• Wow … it is satisfying to watch people chop wood. I especially admire the young woman who uses a big sword to whack short logs into oblivion (favorite: nicole_coenen).
• The off-grid people amaze me. They like to share their knowledge and it’s amazing to watch how they battle the elements to carve out a life in remote areas.
• The pond people … I have great respect for those intrepid civil engineers who set out to create big ponds. It’s not simple, nor easy.
• Tik Tok helps you discover the best in gastronomy … I feast on videos demonstrating cooking techniques and delicious receipes (favorites include stalecracker, pepperbellypete)
• Alabama Rush … who knew this was such a sensation? Every year, Tik Tok is saturated with posts of young women going through Rush. I can’t take too much of this but it’s a window into a very different culture (favorite: kylan_darnell)

I have scratched the surface here. Yes, you will need to scroll through a lot of content that ranges from uninteresting to disgusting, but, by following judiciously, you can create a feed that caters to your specific interests. I admit spending more time on Tik Tok than I do on reading non-fiction, but life being what it is these days, who can’t use more cute cows? 🙂