Short-form video is conclusively the biggest revolution in entertainment during the 21st century so far.

It is difficult to understate just how much nothing has been the same since TikTok achieved cultural prominence. Pretty much everywhere that we turn on the internet these days, we can expect to be confronted with the format that it may not have invented, but it perfected to the point that millions were easily hooked. We are all in thrall to the endless scroll of algorithmically selected random videos, forever in search of the next hit. 

Perhaps a lesser discussed effect of the clock app being everywhere is that it has also infected the internet in ways that are less video-centric. Indeed, many TikTokers seem to create videos with screenshotting viewers in mind, ready and waiting to spread their message through other platforms with the help of the humble still image. It just goes to show that these videos do not even need to exist to tell the story, but a lot of people seem to prefer it that they do.

Personally, we are partial to the results of all those dedicated screencappers, providing us with the gist of so many silly videos without wasting a few extra seconds of our lives. They give us the best updates on what the heck people on TikTok want to talk about, without us falling prey to the For You Page. These days, being able to stay away from that is a mighty feat that not everybody is capable of.