chriswere.wales

Thoughts on shorts

by Chris Were

People following me on the Fedi or in the Discord probably already know that I’ve recently been getting into making shorts again. Today I want to share what I’ve learnt and where I’m going with it all.

What are shorts? They’re known by different names across platforms, but they’re short, (usually) vertical videos. They’re designed mostly for viewing on phones and can be found on a number of platforms, such as YouTube, Instagram, TikTok (and Facebook et al), Loops.video (the Fediverse one), and probably Snapchat. Different platforms have different stipulations for what constitutes a short, but the style is the same across platforms. They’re also usually shown in quick succession, with the playlist decided by the algorithm™, with the user swiping through videos whenever they want to see a new one.

I try and use most social media platforms I make content for, so I know first-hand how addictive shorts are. Different platforms have different levels of insidiousness, and whilst I haven’t tried all of the shorts platforms, here’s a quick league table from best to worst, based simply on how toxic each platform is.

  1. Loops: Whilst it has all the usual shortcomings of Fedi video platforms, ie a shortage of content, it’s by far the least addictive and has the least toxic rage-baiting content of all the platforms. In fact, many of the videos on Loops are just neat little home videos, and I find that so much more human than the clout-chasing platforms like Insta and TikTok.

  2. YouTube: YouTube has an advantage in that it already knows what kind of videos I like to watch and can adjust its shorts playlist accordingly. It also shows me a lot of shorts from channels I’m already subscribed to, which I like. It’s still somewhat easy to get lost in the scrolling, although some of that might just be the nature of the media format.

  3. Instagram: I’ve been enjoying Instagram Reels somewhat. There are a lot of interesting hobby and craft videos, but also a fair amount of AI slop, which really does just feel yucky. Say what you want about the legitimate uses of AI, generating artistic media just isn’t one of them. It’s just people using LLMs to churn out algorithm-appealing content to farm viewers and subscribers for no sensible reason I can fathom. Periodically, it’ll also try and push right-wing talking points on me in a way that makes me feel really uncomfortable.

  4. TikTok: TikTok can fuck right off. By far the most disgusting and insidious platform I’ve used. Whilst it offers up more variety of content than the rest, it isn’t shy about throwing rage-baiting videos, AI slop, masculinity-obsessed influencers, right-wing nut-jobs, and just videos degrading and looking down on people at me. I really think TikTok is just a cancer at this stage.

I enjoy making shorts. I like getting a podcast of something I’ve been working on with friends and taking out neat little segments. People who know me IRL also enjoy them, since they’re usually uninterested in listening to a 2–3 hour podcast of me talking shite with Drew. Shorts allow them to engage with what I’m making in a more accessible way. Here’s how I’ve found making content for each platform.

  1. Loops: I was surprised that my videos were doing quite well in terms of reach on Loops. The only real issue with Loops is that it’s yet another Fedi account for people to follow, when I could just as easily upload videos to my usual Fedi account and still get them out there.

  2. YouTube: It seems to me that YouTube really wants to push the shorts format. It makes sense, as so many people are watching videos on their phones. Despite how few people I know IRL who scroll YouTube Shorts, videos I upload there seem to get pretty good views, at least for the first day or so after posting. The channels make it so that shorts can be a neat addition to content you’re already making for YouTube, and can be used as a form of outreach to new viewers.

  3. Instagram: The AI is awkward with Insta, but nevertheless, I managed to make it work. Views are definitely highest on Instagram, and there are a decent number of comments from viewers too, which is something I really like.

  4. TikTok: For some reason, anything I uploaded to TikTok stayed at 0 views. I hate TikTok so much that I didn’t really care to remedy this, but it seems I was shadowbanned for reasons I can’t fathom. Honestly, making content for TikTok just feels like fuelling people’s brainrot.

Overall, I don’t hate making shorts, but I do hate Instagram, TikTok, and, to a lesser extent, YouTube. How I continue making content for these platforms will be determined by how much I want to sell my soul for a little extra reach. One video about House of the Dragon reached over 100,000 views, and I can’t deny that feels good. But then what? In the old days, when you got that many views for a video, it used to mean something. Now it just feels so much more disposable.

Right now, I love creating podcasts with my friends Drew, Hamish, Max, and Jenny. And I have the itch to do even more. It’s nice to just sit down with people, chat, and share that with the world, even if only a few people end up listening. It feels cosier than a one-minute clip only glanced at by a hundred thousand people.

I know a lot of people have strong thoughts on big tech and media, and I would certainly be interested in listening to what you all have to say, so please get in touch via email or the Fedi, details are on my homepage.