TikTok ‘Sludge’ Trend: What Parents Need To Know
By Movieguide® Contributor
A new trend is taking over TikTok. Here’s what parents need to know about “sludge” videos.
“Sludge” videos are TikToks made up of multiple video clips, all playing simultaneously. For example, a video of a podcast conversation with clips of someone playing a video game and making slime playing at the same time.
“Typically, the video’s audio will come from one root video while 1-5 other videos play in smaller windows on top of the main one,” a report from KTLA explained.
The videos have become so popular that many people have joked about “sludge,” pointing out that they are an example of people’s shortening attention spans. But is there any risk that can come from these videos?
“Brain activity in response to sludge content hasn’t been studied directly, but experts say such content likely has similar effects on the brain as multitasking,” Scientific American wrote. “Multitasking essentially fragments your attention into tiny nuggets. When your attention jumps between multiple activities or videos on a screen, you’re not able to fully comprehend or remember the information presented in any of the sources.”
Research into “sludge” content is still in the early stages, but Megan Moreno, an adolescent medicine physician who studies media and digital health at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, said it should “still be monitored.”
“I don’t know that we have a ton of studies that really tell us [how our brain handles large amounts of information at once] because, as you can imagine, it’s pretty hard to construct a study like that,” Moreno explained. “If sludge content doesn’t continue as a trend, that tells us something also: that it’s not content that people are willing to spend their time on.”
However, Nick Seaver, the director of the Science, Technology, and Society Center at Tufts University in Massachusetts, says there’s no cause for panic.
“I don’t think it’s very useful to point to, like, any new media and be, like, see, ‘This is evidence that we’re falling,’” he said. “[Sludge content] is made by someone for some reason. It’s not just, like, a natural phenomenon that tells us something about ourselves.”
While “sludge” videos don’t appear to be overtly harmful, there are other TikTok trends that parents should keep an eye out for. Movieguide® previously reported:
“Fairy Flying,” the latest viral TikTok trend, is sparking concern due to its eerie resemblance to self-harm and suicide.
“Searching for #fairyflying on TikTok leads to videos featuring disturbing imagery many compare to fake ‘suicide-by-hanging’ videos that seemingly show lifeless, headless bodies swaying in the air,” New York Post recently shared.
Child and adolescent psychologist Dr. Josh Stein expressed his concerns about the trend.
”The #fairyflying trend could be triggering or bring about negative emotions for people who have experienced suicidal ideation or have loved ones who’ve attempted or committed suicide,” Stein said.
“Even in its most innocent form, videos that depict people hanging could be disturbing to some. This speaks to one of the major challenges of TikTok and social media—things go live without awareness of potential consequences or warnings.’’
- Content: +1Share:
- Content: +1