TIKTOK is reportedly testing longer-length videos, despite studies that show its majority of users have short attention spans.
The social media platform has been testing videos lengths of up to five minutes between August 2021 and February 2022, according to a new report by Wired.
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Initially, TikTok creators could only upload content up to 60-seconds long, however, in 2021, the company let users create videos up to three minutes long.
TikTok made the move to increase the video length regardless of studies conducted by their internal team that found a majority of its users have trouble concentrating on longer content.
In fact, nearly 50 percent of users surveyed by TikTok said that they found watching videos longer than a minute to be stressful.
Still, these statistics are not stopping the company – whose snappy content propelled them to success – from moving forward with longer videos.
For starters, lengthier videos not only garner more attention but also allow the platform to sell more ads, which equals a higher revenue stream.
“Ultimately, if five-minute videos help TikTok push their average watch time up by even a few seconds, traditional advertisers may feel they have more freedom, and tech is always looking for as much revenue as possible,” Karyn Spencer, an industry expert who previously worked for Vine, told Wired.
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Longer videos will also allow TikTk to compete with other social media platforms such as YouTube
“Longer form content allows TikTok to more directly take on YouTube,” Brendan Gahan, partner and chief social officer at Mekanism, said to Wired.
“Given YouTube is the second largest search engine, even capturing a fraction of their viewership could have massive positive ramifications for TikTok,” Gahan added.
Another potential reason for lengthening video content could be to capture an older audience.
“For mature TikTokers, who are more used to watching longer content on YouTube and less interested in participating in dance challenges or recreating memes, long videos could be suitable products to keep them entertained,” Meg Jing Zeng, a TikTok researcher at the University of Zurich, told Wired.
Interestingly enough, while the social media company is trying to lengthen its content, other platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat have capped their video content to try to emulate TikTok.
“TikTok’s success is a forcing function on the other social platforms. They can’t ignore the phenomenal growth – it’s so big it may be the future of social,” Gahan noted.
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In other news, the creators of a chilling new horror game say that the title is so disturbing they’ve been forced to censor it on PlayStation.
Apple has announced updates to AirTags following claims that the coin-sized tracking devices are being used to stalk people.
And TikTok has announced new rules, banning users who deadname or misgender others.
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