??Searching for meaning in TikTok

Issue #292

Forget dad jokes, publish a couple of reels on Insta and TikTok and your kids will suddenly think you’re a creator. It’s possibly the best dad hack ever. Next thing they’re telling all their friends, Dad is a YouTuber. Doing reels for work never felt better. But it turns out I’m not alone. Adobe has found that the average creator isn’t a 20-something Gen-Z TikTokker it’s actually a 40-year-old millennial. And educational content is the big growth area, so who better to deliver it than someone who remembers dial-up Internet. Happy Thursday, Simon.

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Searching for TikTok

TikTok is intent on expanding its reach by encouraging users to use the platform for search. A new advertising push is directing its user base to add a search shortcut to their device. Studies have shown that Gen Z favours the platform for search, in many cases using it instead of Google. The search shortcut push comes after the company launched search ads last year. It could pose a long-term problem for Google. ChatGPT is already giving rival search engine, Microsoft’s Bing a leg up and now a generation is growing up not defaulting to a stand-alone search engine at all.?

Be careful what you search for on TikTok

Gen Z might like the results they’re getting on TikTok, but there’s no guarantee that the info they find is correct. This is especially true when it comes to complex topics like financial advice. Hashtags including #wealth, #millionaire and #financialfreedom are viewed tens of millions of times each month. A report has found 63% of videos around stocks are misleading and 95% have no risk disclaimers. The main issue is you can’t give proper financial advice in 60-seconds. Also, these videos are meant to entertain and attract views by focusing on viewers’ emotions. It’s not really how you want to make big life decisions.

Are creators too young?

The popularity of financial advice searches reflects a growing interest in education over entertainment. But how many younger creators can create expert content? Age does have its advantages, especially when it comes to experience. While the belief is that content creation is a young person’s game, a recent report found a 16% increase in people aged 41 to 56 who consider themselves digital creators. While there are more older creators working, the report found they’re not taken seriously by their peers, who don’t consider it a real job. Regardless of opinions, a broader range of creators means a broader range of useful content.

Cool tools

Capturing a perfect shot of a fast-moving subject is a rare thing. Usually, distortion occurs due to rolling shutters in most cameras. The Sony A9 III camera, equipped with a Global Shutter Sensor, aims to eliminate this issue by capturing the entire image at once. It's a reliable companion for your next sports photography assignment.

What were looking at

• What goes on behind the scenes of a three and half hour epic.
• Taylor Swift brings everyone together.?
• It’s depressing how little things change.

Happy Thursday

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This week’s newsletter was written by Tim Colman & Simon Kearney and edited by David Austin. Gifs produced by Mkay Yap.