Why media formats (like Snapchat Stories and TikTok music videos) become hits?

Like Snapchat, it has a novel format. But if you just focus on the format, you miss the point. The most important thing is the purpose and structure of the network. TikTok users aren’t sharing with their friends, they’re performing for the world. They’re not keeping up with familiar faces, they’re discovering new ones. It’s hard to prove this is tr... See more

On the “pro” side of the argument: Facebook’s data shows that short entertaining videos are drinking photos’ milkshake, and if Instagram wants to survive they need to jump off their burning platform. On the “con” side: the entire internet seems to be united against Instagram’s new product strategy, and it’s possible that this change could ruin what... See more

Reels — or TikToks — are a more elaborate, harder-to-make format, where creativity, talent, and effort matter much more. The intended audience, at least on TikTok, isn’t really your friends or existing followers, but really the chance of hitting it big through the app’s algorithmic recommendation engine. It has become a creative scene, more like Yo... See more