From tool-based niche entertainment software to today's digital platform "created by all", "youthful" short videos quickly gained 1 billion users, becoming one of the online audio-visual forms with the largest number of users. Information content is constantly refreshed, platform

From a tool-based niche entertainment software to today’s digital platform “co-created by all”, the “youthful” short videos quickly gained 1 billion users, becoming one of the online audio-visual forms with the largest number of users. Information content is constantly refreshed, platform operations are becoming more standardized, and industrial mechanisms are more complete. In addition, short videos are also actively expanding their boundaries and exploring various possibilities such as micro-short dramas, cultural tourism, local life services, and rural revitalization, which greatly satisfy the needs of consumers. It meets the diversified needs of users for leisure and entertainment, information acquisition, social interaction, and online shopping.

However, compared with the rapid expansion in previous years, the growth rate of short video volume and number of users has slowed down in the past two years. Does this mean that short videos have insufficient development potential and are already experiencing a "middle-aged crisis" while they are still in their "adolescence"? In fact, the dividend has not completely disappeared, it just needs to be further explored.

Quality, knowledge, and convenience have become trends.

With the superposition of various factors, it is inevitable that the growth rate of the short video field will slow down. The short video platform used to be able to continuously attract the "silver-haired people" who were new to the Internet, but now the users of the short video platform cover almost all potential user groups, and the number of users is becoming saturated. Of course, the slowdown in growth is not only reflected in the number of users, but also in multiple development dimensions such as capital, content, and form. The slowdown of

is forcing the short video field to explore new possibilities. For example, turning to a high-quality development path of intensive cultivation, focusing on increasing diversified and high-quality content supply to meet the constantly iterative user needs for information.

At present, short video content producers mainly include mainstream media, individual users and mcn institutions. While these entities are aware of the changes in the development of short videos, they are constantly exploring ways of "intensive farming" based on their own attributes, functions, values, etc. The short video works of mainstream media adhere to theme creation, and play the role of spreading mainstream voices and guiding social public opinion at major events and important time nodes; individual users have set off an upsurge of "co-creation by all", especially with the advent of AI and VR/MR The application of /ar and other technologies has greatly lowered the threshold for creation, and the forms of works have become richer; the professional creator group of mcn organizations has continued to grow, and they are deeply involved in the entire process of short video creation and distribution, and continue to improve various subdivisions in the competition. The quality of the work. The diversification of subjects and the quality of content enrich the ecological pattern of the short video field.

A certain software interface that focuses on AI technology to generate short videos with one click.

Among a wide variety of short videos, general knowledge has become the new favorite. The "Short Video User Value Research Report" shows that users prefer an efficient and valuable viewing experience, and "useful" exceeds "decompression" as the primary reason for watching short videos. In 2023, scientific experiment videos released on Douyin platform, China Science and Technology Museum and other institutions were played more than 43.2 billion times. These general knowledge contents not only meet users’ expectations of broadening their horizons, but also satisfy their need for relaxation.

Short video seems to have truly entered a mature and stable stage of development after its growth slowed down.

Noise reduction, error correction, pollution control,

Cyberspace governance cannot stop

It must be noted that despite many rounds of rectification, there is still some chaos in the short video field. If it is not effectively managed, it will not only have a negative impact on users' values, consumption behavior, aesthetic interests, etc., but also have a negative impact on the short video field that is facing adjustment and improvement.

In order to get traffic, some people will do whatever it takes. Some bloggers deliberately act ugly and make pranks to attract traffic, while others rely on fake photos to become popular. In April 2024, the Ministry of Public Security announced 10 illegal and criminal cases of online rumors, which aroused social concern. These staged short videos deviate from industry ethics for the sake of traffic, intensify social conflicts and cause social panic by creating false incidents and conflicts.

Internet celebrities who show off their wealth create consumption spectacles to cater to fans’ materialistic worship. Some Internet celebrities vigorously promote money worship, showing jewelry, luxury cars, etc. in short videos to portray themselves as extravagant "idols".In fact, socialite internet celebrities are just products carefully packaged by some MCN organizations, and their behavior of showing off their wealth is to convert the admiration of fans into purchasing power. This type of internet celebrity has been banned by the platform, but whether similar internet celebrities will appear again and whether the platform can carry out rectification as soon as possible is still worthy of vigilance.

Teenagers who are inexperienced in the world are easily affected by short videos. Young people are immature in their thoughts and feelings and lack the ability to judge online information. They are easily beguiled by incorrect views on consumption, right and wrong, and life. For example, the toy "Carrot Knife" that became popular on the short video platform in 2023 has caused great controversy. Many people believe that although it is made of plastic, it can imitate a real knife to stab and stab, which may inspire young people's criminal awareness.

The "silver-haired generation" who have little experience in using the Internet are also easily deceived by false information due to their lack of digital media literacy. In the eyes of many young people, videos that are "fake at first glance" have easily defrauded many adults and adults of their money; the anchors who call themselves "sons" and "daughters" in the live broadcast room make the elderly get lost in the sounds of "uncles, aunts" and even In "Mom and Dad", a bunch of fake and shoddy products were ordered by mistake...

In view of the various chaos existing in the short video field, while strengthening educational guidance, relevant departments and platforms need to work together to strictly manage, seriously rectify, and constantly improve the platform governance system to protect the healthy operation of the short video field and serve the general public. Create a clear online space for the audience.

Let the algorithm avoid harm and do good

The rapid development of short videos is largely due to the fact that it meets users' viewing expectations and forms viewing stickiness. The problems and dilemmas in the short video field are also directly related to poor viewing caused by stickiness.

Many people sometimes fall into obsession when watching videos. Many blame the platform’s big data algorithms. Some people believe that algorithms are in danger of creating information cocoons. The reason is that algorithms continue to push content that users are interested in, which will limit users to their own interests when browsing and lose their attention and exploration of diversified information.

From a rational perspective, information cocoons do not exist in all short video viewing behaviors. Many scholars even believe that this view has no scientific basis. The environment people live in is complex and diverse. In addition to short video platforms, it is also affected by various factors such as individual life and social scenes. Short videos are not the decisive force in people's cognition. For short video platforms, the more diverse the recommended content is, the greater the probability of long-term retention of users, so the platform will not encourage users to enter the information cocoon. Generally speaking, short video platforms will set up an "interest exploration" mechanism to push users' infrequent or random content from time to time to prevent users from falling into an information cocoon.

We need to see that if information cocoons really exist, it is also related to our own lack of self-control and discernment, and our tendency to fall into our own preferences. Only by trying to change this inertia through external forces and internal driving forces can we find a way out of the information cocoon. In this regard, short video platforms do have the responsibility to actively guide, create topics, and expand links.

In 2023, archaeological and cultural relics “conspicuous packages” and other content will continue to be popular on Douyin, driving the popularity of online and offline museum check-ins. The "2024 Douyin Museum Ecological Data Report" shows that in the past year, the number of museum-related videos increased by 191% year-on-year, and the cumulative playback volume increased by 62% year-on-year. Short videos inject vitality into blogs, benefiting from the precise and effective distribution of recommendation algorithms. This is a successful case of short video algorithm seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages.

Looking into the future, short videos should move forward steadily along the track of high-quality development. Empowered by digital technology and artificial intelligence, they should be deeply integrated with different fields and become one of the important media formats that promote social and cultural development.