TikTok Critique of Taylor Swift's New Songs: What's Wrong with Generation Z's Analysis.

According to Vox: After the release of Taylor Swift's album The Life of a Showgirl, TikTok was flooded with a variety of user opinions.

One popular post claims that Swift's album is a "study of moral decay," filled with lyrics that demonstrate "pathological emotional involvement" and "lack of self-identity." While the author's tone is assertive, their analysis is fundamentally based on assumptions. Another post examines how society perceived Swift through her racial identity. This argument is also hard to call valid, yet the video garnered over 7 million views and thousands of supportive comments.

Critical analysis on TikTok has become a common phenomenon: users discuss new pop stars, reality shows, scandals, and fashion trends. Sometimes they analyze the object itself, and at other times they connect it with the mood in society. Many of them use the green screen feature, showing pictures and text above their heads to support their thoughts.

@sotfogsotfog

Taylor Swift with her new album The Life of a Showgirl has opened up a lot about her inner world, in my opinion. Please tell me that this is obviously not just me #taylorswift #thelifeofashowgirl #arianagrande #mileycyrus

♬ original sound – sotfogsotfog

Cultural commentary on TikTok is not new, and it is not always negative. Many critics, scholars, and experts have become quite popular on this platform. However, it is concerning that genuine analysis gives way to users with confident voices who use academic vocabulary, which may contribute to the spread of misinformation. Meanwhile, professional critics are losing jobs in traditional media due to the created climate of fear.

Modern Commentary through the Lens of TikTok

It is known that the genre of cultural commentary on TikTok is a simplified version of video essays from YouTube. As Terry Nguyen noted, these long videos began gaining popularity in 2012. Popular accounts like ContraPoints, Mina Le, and others receive millions of views each year for their in-depth explorations of cultural phenomena. But among the higher quality analyses, there is a lot of misinformation and baseless gossip.

According to Jamie Cohen, a professor of media studies, users have adopted the mindset of "I am here to learn" on TikTok as the platform gained popularity during the pandemic. However, the TikTok format does not always lend itself to deep analysis or research.

Generation Z's Need for Knowledge

The desire of Generation Z to gain knowledge from TikTok is not exceptional. Social media is traditionally seen as an additional source of information. However, many young people feel as though they are trapped in screen cages. Many of them note that TikTok has several features that distract from reading.

Thus, TikTok has become the primary news source for many. According to statistics, 52% of TikTok users state that they regularly receive news from the platform. However, subscriptions to journalists remain low: only 0.4% from well-known accounts.

It is easy to criticize Generation Z for their irregularity, but many of them cannot turn away from the "thought leaders" who fill their timelines. As Jamie Cohen points out, students seek information that is not covered but is interesting to them.

The situation around cultural analysis on social media reflects a shift in approaches to consuming information. Users are increasingly turning to informal sources, seeking fresh perspectives on well-known topics. This underscores the importance of critical thinking and caution in interpreting the ideas that spread in the modern media landscape.