Sludge content (also known as content sludge and overstimulation videos[1]) is a genre of split-screen video on short-form video platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts.
Characteristic of sludge content is unrelated, attention-grabbing side content, meant to increase viewer retention.[2] Common attention-grabbing videos include repetitive mobile gameplay (notably of the endless runner mobile game Subway Surfers), ASMR or oddly satisfying clips, and cooking videos.[3] Sludge videos typically feature one panel of main content with audio, often copyrighted material. Common copyrighted material include television episodes (notably of the adult animated television series Family Guy),[4] Reddit posts read by an artificial voice,[2] and videos made by other social media users.[3]
Sludge content has been labelled as overstimulating and addictive.[1][3][5] Sludge content may lead to normative dissociation, which can be soothing.[1] The genre has been described as reflecting and contributing to declining attention spans,[5][3] though the scholarly evidence supporting such claims is not conclusive.[3]
Origins and appeal
editThe concept of sludge content originates with methods used to subvert copyright detection tools, particularly on Family Guy "funniest moments" compilations on YouTube.[3] Editing techniques such as frequent jump cuts, overlaid unrelated clips, and cropping have increased the longevity of copyright-violating videos on YouTube.
The proliferation of sludge content has been attributed to its ease of creation and its profitability.[6][3] Tools like Opus Pro, SludgeAI, and CrayoAI automate the production of sludge content, enabling its mass distribution online.[7][8][9][independent source needed]
TikTok's "duet" feature, in which a creator can post a video side-by-side with a video from another creator,[10] has been cited as priming viewers for this form of multitasking.[3] Users have noted the proclivity of TikTok's recommendation algorithm to increasingly show such videos to users; the process of steadily consuming more sludge content has been popularly described as a "pipeline" (often called the "Family Guy pipeline" due to the series's ubiquity in such content).[4] Sludge content has also been described as a form of escapism.[5]
Psychologist Natalie Coyle analyzed the videos and determined that the external media increases receptiveness through the concept of "visual tactility".[2] Digital media researcher Bjørn Nansen opined that the phenomenon should not be unexpected given the prevalence of media multitasking outside of TikTok.[3]
Impact
editSYBO Games, the developers of Subway Surfers, referenced sludge content on the TikTok account for the game and attributed Subway Surfers' resurgence to sludge content.[2]
Accounts from content creators including British power metal band DragonForce, political commentator Hasan Piker, and Andrew Tate have posted videos on TikTok featuring sludge content.[3][11] Companies, including Visible, Pepsi, and Tums, have used sludge content in advertisements.[11] The New Zealand National Party used sludge content to promote their policies in the 2023 general election.[12]
A 2020 study found that engaging with various digital media on multiple devices simultaneously may worsen attention and recall in young adults.[1] Concern has been raised over the popularity of such split-screen content with young children in Generation Alpha.[13]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d Mattson, Anna. "Sludge Videos Are Taking Over TikTok--And People's Mind". Scientific American. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ a b c d Winslow, Levi (February 2, 2023). "The Truth Behind Those Wild TikTok Videos Meant To Hack Your Attention". Kotaku. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Castello, Jay (March 24, 2023). "TikTok's sludge content isn't just for short attention spans". Polygon. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- ^ a b Dazed (2023-03-09). "A deep dive into the Family Guy TikTok Pipeline". Dazed. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ a b c "'Sludge content' is the latest form of escapism on TikTok". NBC News. 2023-04-26. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
- ^ D'Anastasio, Cecilia (February 3, 2023). "TikTok's Subway Surfers Videos Signal Demise of Our Attention Span". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ "Opus Pro". Opus Pro. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
- ^ "SludgeAI". SludgeAI. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
- ^ "CrayoAI". CrayoAI. Retrieved 2025-07-01.
- ^ "Duets | TikTok Help Center". support.tiktok.com. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ a b Falcon, Russell (January 13, 2024). "What are 'sludge' videos on TikTok? Are they harmful?". KTLA.
- ^ "Political advertising on social media: sludge or copyright quagmire?". Hudson Gavin Martin. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
- ^ Singh, Anita (2023-03-29). "Quarter of 5-year-olds watch TikTok videos that 'blur fact and fiction'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2024-11-12.