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As if TikTok’s addictive, fast-paced algorithm didn’t have us watching enough videos every day, users are implementing a new video style that doubles our daily content intake and influences us to binge.
Over the past couple of months, the popular social media app has become flooded with multi-part split-screen videos featuring a clip from a TV show on one side and another stimulating video — such as satisfying slime videos or Subway Surfer screen recordings — on the other. The increase in these bizarre TikToks has given some of our favorite older shows a new life on streaming services.
By taking a quick peek at the “Trending Now” section on Netflix, we see Suits, Grey’s Anatomy, Shameless, Jane the Virgin, Gilmore Girls, and The Mick planted on the list. We also find Young Sheldon landing an early spot in Prime Video’s “Paramount+: Popular TV” section.
Each of these shows has a few things in common: They came out in or around the 2010s; they haven’t released new episodes in a while; and most importantly, are all over TikTok alongside videos of brightly colored kinetic sand being chopped up (I’m not even exaggerating — check out the video below with over 2 million views):
What’s the key to these videos’ success? They hold your attention. A study from about a year back done by Yahoo, among a few other companies, found that as a result of extensive social media use, Gen Z loses active attention while watching ads after a mere 1.3 seconds — less time than any other age group. By using a technique that emulates the way we now scroll on our phones while “watching” television, these split-screen videos feed us extra content to keep us extra attentive. And while attention spans dwindling may not be a good thing, TikTok users like Tom Powell have learned to make light (and memes) of the situation.
As for how the TikTok trend is reviving some of our old fave shows for the new generation, it’s quite easy to understand if you’ve ever gotten caught in a Young Sheldon TikTok rabbit hole yourself. The creator of the video splits a scene from a show into multiple parts. Sometimes one scene can be divided into 30+ parts, taking up 30+ different TikTok videos. This means that in order to find out what happens next, viewers must go to the creator’s profile and scroll to find each succeeding part.
…Or they can just start the show for themselves on its respective platform. After seeing and enjoying multiple scenes from the same show on their For You Page, viewers (at least those that the writer of this piece is friendly with) are then inclined to watch it from the beginning outside of TikTok — almost like they’ve just viewed a trailer for it.
This new trend works as free advertising for old TV shows that were once lost in the depths of streaming platforms. And thanks to it, shows like Suits, Grey’s Anatomy, Young Sheldon, and many more have now been brought to the forefront where new viewers can discover them and old viewers can fall in love with them all over again… While also watching some sweet Subway Surfer videos at the same time.
