5 Reasons Why the TikTok & Disney Partnership Deal is Bad News for Families
The social media takeover continues its relentless conquest. Last week, TikTok and Disney announced a new partnership aimed at bringing more Disney-centric content to TikTok and more TikTok creators to the Disney+ streaming platform.
According to the press release, the partnership will give TikTok creators access to assets from Disney’s sprawling content library, and curated videos (called “verts”) from content creators will be added to the vertical video feed on Disney+. Additionally, a Disney Creator Ambassador Program will offer rewards, perks, and “career development pathways” for top creators.
Concerning the partnership, Asad Ayaz, Disney’s chief marketing and brand officer, said, “This collaboration creates a new bridge between the stories we tell and the creativity they inspire, giving creators a bigger stage to share what they’ve made, and audiences more to discover on Disney+ every day.” It’s a good day for Disney superfans and aspiring Disney-themed content creators. For everyone else, it’s another step in a murky direction.
A Changing Media Landscape
The slogan “Disney is coming for your kids” is often used as clickbait. But in a sense, the sentiment is true. In an investor call earlier this year, new Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro revealed the motivation behind the company’s new creation strategy: “This is specifically important when we think about Gen Alpha, obviously, the newest generation of Disney fans. What we’re doing is we’re experimenting with short-form content in a variety of ways.”
From a business standpoint, the deal makes sense. An entertainment company doesn’t survive, much less thrive, unless it connects with the younger generations. From a Christian or parent perspective, the quote is more ominous. It offers a sobering reminder that media companies are investing immense resources into getting children and young adults hooked on their services. That they are doing so with content that is potentially harmful makes the strategy even more concerning.
Five Reasons for Concern
- We’re oversaturated in social media and short-form content. Setting aside the issue of whether the content itself is problematic, our culture is already drowning in an ocean of short-form material. According to the American Psychological Association, teens spend an average of 4.8 hours a day on social media platforms (mostly YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram). Such content has infiltrated every corner of daily life and has become increasingly hard to escape. Though primarily consumed on mobile devices, recent statistics show that YouTube now accounts for 13% of TV viewership, with Netflix and Disney+ trailing at 8% and 5% respectively. In other words, there’s a higher chance TV viewers are consuming content from social media than from traditional Hollywood studios. If the Disney and TikTok partnership is a harbinger of what’s to come, then the presence of short-form social media content is only going to increase.
- It’s addictive. Despite the PR spin about “empowering creatives” and serving its fanbase, the driving motivation for the partnership is unmistakable: social media is addictive, and Disney wants young audiences to become addicted to its digital services. Streaming shows may be “bingeworthy” (there’s a reason streaming platforms start playing the next episode before the end credits of the previous one have even rolled), but there’s something even more enticing about the endless scroll and bite-sized dopamine hits that short-form social media content offers. If traditional streaming is junk food, then short-form content creation is a full-blown drug. And having that drug available around every digital corner is unlikely to lead to desirable outcomes.
- It’s not healthy. Although some good has emerged from the content-creation era, by almost every metric, the enterprise has been a net loss for our emotional, spiritual, and mental health. Overconsumption of short-form digital content has led to a decrease in focus, strong feelings of dissatisfaction and anxiety, and countless wasted hours that could otherwise have been devoted to more edifying pursuits.
- It incentivizes influencer culture. We’re so immersed in the world of content creation that it’s almost shocking to remember that YouTube has only been around for 20 years, and the concept of a social media “influencer” has existed for little more than a decade. This may be the “new normal,” but it hasn’t been around long enough for us to fully grasp the consequences. Yet early warning signs—and some recent viral moments—paint an ugly picture. Disney isn’t inventing “influencer culture,” but its partnership with TikTok may introduce audiences to that world at younger ages.
- It harms traditional entertainment and media. As the classic saying goes, “If you can’t beat them, join them.” As traditional entertainment studios fret about losing their cultural relevancy to upstart social media platforms, adopting short-form content may turn that concern into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Recent Disney content may leave much to be desired, but for subscribers to open the Disney+ app and be hit with a stream of short-form influencer videos is a far cry from the groundbreaking creative days of the animated classic Snow White.
Just a Symptom
The TikTok and Disney partnership may turn out to be much ado about nothing. “Verts” on Disney+ will likely remain a fringe oddity that supplements the platform’s more traditional entertainment offerings. In that way, the specifics of the partnership are inconsequential. What is more concerning is that the entertainment industry—and society at large—is wading deeper into the murky waters of addictive short-form content. Fun, entertaining videos are sure to emerge from the partnership. But as we drift further from shore, we may question whether it was worth it. Then again, perhaps we’ll be too busy scrolling “verts” on the Disney+ app to notice.
