A new trend has emerged on TikTok, characterized by anonymous accounts posting clips from TV shows or movies accompanied by numbered lists containing seemingly unrelated and nonsensical text. These videos, often longer than a minute, have been gaining significant traction on the platform, with some accumulating millions of views. The lists, which are typically revealed one item at a time, bear little to no relation to the accompanying media clip, leaving viewers puzzled.
The phenomenon has sparked curiosity among users, with many taking to the comments section to question the purpose of these lists. The trend appears to be leveraging the human affinity for lists and rankings, using it as a hook to capture attention. This approach may also serve as a means to alter videos that do not belong to the poster, potentially helping to evade platform detection.
The rise of these incoherent lists on TikTok has raised questions about the role of artificial intelligence in their creation. Given the current landscape of online content, it is plausible that some of these videos may be AI-generated. As social media platforms continue to evolve, the presence of low-effort, AI-created content is becoming increasingly common.
TikTok’s algorithm, which prioritizes engagement and viewer interaction, may be contributing to the proliferation of these videos. The platform’s “For You” page, which showcases content deemed relevant to individual users, has been a key factor in the spread of these lists. As users engage with these videos, often out of curiosity or confusion, they inadvertently perpetuate the trend.
The emergence of this trend highlights the ongoing challenges faced by social media platforms in maintaining the quality and relevance of their content. As TikTok and other platforms strive to balance user engagement with content moderation, the presence of incoherent lists and other forms of low-effort content is likely to remain a topic of discussion. With the ever-evolving nature of online content, it remains to be seen how this trend will develop and what implications it may have for the future of social media.