The survey was very interesting... #1 aspirational career in China being astronaut and the US being influencer.

I have a 1st grader and one day she said she wants to be youtuber when she grows up. She learned this from her peers.

Prior to this answer, she wanted to be a doctor.

I asked her what happened to being a doctor, and she says, she can be both (thank goodness, probably the best answer I can wish for).

How is this different from the past where people wanted to be actors on TV and/or movies?

When I was growing up I remember some said they wanted to be Barbie, or GI Joe.

Cultural influence will always be a “thing” as it were. Doesn’t mean it stays a primarily thing or wha t have you. I don’t think it says anything meaningful about someone’s future per se

My point isn't about the career choice. My point is many parents, and probably many more here on HN, may think they can avoid TikToks influence because they don't use it. However it's moot since their peers will have influence, and it starts as young as 1st grade.

Douyin, Douyin, Douyin, Douyin,

I'm begging of you please let me login.

Douyin, Douyin, Douyin, Douyin,

Even though I'm not a Chinese citizen.

Your algorithm's like TLC,

the cable channel, how it used to be,

serving education, not cheap junk vids.

Just months until Tiktok gets banned.

There'll be now more Bytedance in this land.

To save yourself, just please think of the kids.

As someone who grew up in the edutainment 90s, I'm starting to think that there might actually have been something to the CTA et al. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulations_on_children%27s_te... )

It seems as if the regulations have just been weakened over the years, and they're of course nonexistent with streaming and cable. Maybe that should change. Tiktok is just one of the starker examples of a company that COULD be using its algorithmic power for good and choosing to use it for greed, the well-being of users be damned.

One could only make that assertion if one has never actually used Douyin. Try it on douyin.com and see how much education content you see.

I saw a video of a girl with pushed up boobs, and then a video celebrating april 28 1924, the birth of the communist party. About what I'd expect, they certainly have lots of control by the communist party since I doubt such a video would be popular naturally, the push up girl is more what you expect from organic content so there is a mix.

It's two different sets of creators -> two content pools. Also, there are many, many users outside of US or China, with their own regional content pools.

ByteDance exercises a LOT of editorial control over what gets promoted in the stream, though. If TikTok pushed educational videos on users in the US, you'd see everyone clamoring to be Steve Mould.

This should be required viewing for anyone even thinking of giving an electronic device to a child.