I once heard it said:
The Chinese people possess three doctoral qualifications:
- PhD in using chopsticks
- PhD in eating sunflower seeds
- PhD in scrolling TikTok
Of these three skills, scrolling TikTok is the most advanced and developed. The recent popularity of TikTok is clear evidence of its dominance. According to those who follow such matters, there are many types of video apps like TikTok currently trending in the market. Initially created by a certain large company "using recommendation algorithms," later various products from companies like "Kuaishou," "Xiaohongshu," and others have been continuously released. Nowadays, even in the most remote corners, small products have terabytes of videos displayed and peddled. The modern Chinese people's mastery of the art of scrolling TikTok can thus be imagined.
As for myself, I have always been quite inept at this, and saying so might damage the dignity of the Chinese people, but I can speak frankly among friends. I have never actively sought out TikTok to scroll. But when visiting others and being persuaded, or at banquets, or in teahouses in Chongqing, I would involuntarily take out my phone, and upon finding no messages, would open TikTok and start swiping. I must be careful in my selection, choosing shorter, funny videos, or those of rural countryside scenes, while mostly rejecting those with bizarre costumes or the "so hype" variety. And often, it's only when mealtime arrives or someone interrupts that I realize half an hour has passed. At such times, I make a resolution to quit TikTok forever. My method of quitting is usually to stand up, take a sip of tea to rinse my mouth, light a cigarette, or push the phone away, thus severing all connection with it. Yet after a few minutes, after chatting with others, unconsciously the phone is back in my hands. By the time I realize I've broken my vow, I've often already watched several videos, and then I think, it's fine, just a few more minutes, I'll quit later. Thus, I must quit, yet cannot help but scroll; I quit and then scroll again, scroll and then quit again—I have suffered greatly for it. This makes me now feel afraid even thinking about TikTok.
But I see many others who are highly skilled at this. I believe that of the three doctoral talents of the Chinese people, the talent for scrolling TikTok is the most admirable. I often see idle young gentlemen, a cigarette between their fingers, a phone in their other hand, smoke swirling, swiping and laughing, laughing and walking. Composed and free, truly "utterly delightful"! They carefully select videos they like, and when encountering unsatisfactory ones, they need only give a "swish" swipe, then "puff" out the smoke from their mouths, and there they are, consuming new content. Those fingers are like a delicate and sensitive machine, continuously feeding in videos, continuously consuming them... effortlessly, endlessly.
The inventor of TikTok scrolling is truly a remarkable genius! This is the most effective method of "killing time." To "pass the hours," aside from smoking opium, there is no better method than scrolling TikTok.
Among all things in the world, when I think and think again, there is only TikTok. So I say the inventor of TikTok scrolling is a remarkable genius. And the Chinese people who can fully enjoy TikTok are truly remarkable active practitioners in the art of leisure! Just look at the popularity of TikTok in barbershops and subways, just listen to the popular music filling small noodle shops, buses, and homes, and one can imagine the time Chinese people spend on this—when counted annually, the number must be astonishing. If this trend continues to develop, I'm afraid all of China might be consumed in hearty laughter.
I was already afraid of TikTok, and writing this, I feel even more afraid.
TIP
Article republished from: Scrolling TikTok