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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

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See also: Copyright infringement and social media

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

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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

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References

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  1. ^ a b Mattson, Anna. "Sludge Videos Are Taking Over TikTok--And People's Mind". Scientific American. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ a b Dazed (2023-03-09). "A deep dive into the Family Guy TikTok Pipeline". Dazed. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  5. ^ a b "'Sludge content' is the latest form of escapism on TikTok". NBC News. 2023-04-26. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  6. ^ Mattson, Anna. "Sludge Videos Are Taking Over TikTok--And People's Mind". Scientific American. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ "Duets | TikTok Help Center". support.tiktok.com. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
  9. ^ Dazed (2023-03-09). "A deep dive into the Family Guy TikTok Pipeline". Dazed. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
  10. ^ "'Sludge content' is the latest form of escapism on TikTok". NBC News. 2023-04-26. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
  11. ^ Winslow, Levi (February 2, 2023). "The Truth Behind Those Wild TikTok Videos Meant To Hack Your Attention". Kotaku. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  12. ^ Castello, Jay (March 24, 2023). "TikTok's sludge content isn't just for short attention spans". Polygon. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  13. ^ Castello, Jay (March 24, 2023). "TikTok's sludge content isn't just for short attention spans". Polygon. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  14. ^ Falcon, Russell (January 13, 2024). "What are 'sludge' videos on TikTok? Are they harmful?". KTLA.
  15. ^ Falcon, Russell (January 13, 2024). "What are 'sludge' videos on TikTok? Are they harmful?". KTLA.
  16. ^ "Political advertising on social media: sludge or copyright quagmire?". Hudson Gavin Martin. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
  17. ^ Mattson, Anna. "Sludge Videos Are Taking Over TikTok--And People's Mind". Scientific American. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
  18. ^ 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.
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