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All statements about TikTok

198 statements about TikTok in 95 videos, by upload date.

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2020

  • 2020-03-10 · A Strong but Fleeting Flavor: A Reunion Video — John: Asked about TikToks about them, John has seen only one, which Sarah sent him today; he jokes he gets his TikTok news from The New York Times. (playful) — 00:03:18
  • 2020-03-10 · A Strong but Fleeting Flavor: A Reunion Video — John says he probably won't see any TikToks about himself unless they are reported in The New York Times, where he gets his TikTok news. (playful, hedged) — 00:03:36
  • 2020-05-26 · you'll never know — In a comment John says he has a TikTok; making one was fun, but he doesn't know if he'll ever make a second. — creator comment
  • 2020-05-29 · Get Paid — Hank can't believe John made a TikTok, and already has way more followers there than Hank. (playful) — 00:03:27
  • 2020-06-05 · So Much to Do — Maya Rupert: Maya says interns taught her TikTok and she made one, but she didn't understand the medium at all. (playful) — 00:27:38
  • 2020-07-17 · So Much to See — Hank: When there is a new way stories spread, Hank feels almost obliged to engage with it, and he has been doing so with TikTok. — 00:00:31
  • 2020-07-17 · So Much to See — recommendation: Hank tells viewers not to download TikTok just to follow him: it is addictive and gathers a huge amount of data, which could be misused or compromised in the future. — 00:00:31
  • 2020-07-17 · So Much to See — Hank: Yet on TikTok Hank has never felt closer to the infinite content world, because the constraints on creation and on discovery have been lowered. — 00:02:28
  • 2020-07-17 · So Much to See — Hank says the story of quarantine has been TikTok taking off (he shouts "KOWW!") while Quibi, billions of dollars trying to work with the most talented creators, went "blehh". — 00:02:28
  • 2020-07-17 · So Much to See — Hank: TikTok isn't the Renaissance, but its creativity is astounding; Hank feels he could never find all the good stuff, as with television and books. — 00:02:57
  • 2020-07-21 · Somebody Once Asked . . . — John: Having a TikTok-famous brother feels mostly good to John, but a little worrying. — 00:03:21
  • 2020-08-25 · Somebody once told me… — John says he keeps being tagged in a viral TikTok about a time traveler named Noah from 2030 with over 2 million likes, an obvious example of misinformation he will analyze. — 00:00:29
  • 2020-08-25 · Somebody once told me… — John says the TikTok announces at the outset that it will freak you out, and humans pay more attention to novel, strange or outrageous information, so it starts promisingly. — 00:00:58
  • 2020-08-25 · Somebody once told me… — John rebuts the TikTok's proof that Noah passed a lie detector test: polygraph tests are not that reliable, and no evidence shows Noah took one or even exists. — 00:00:58
  • 2020-08-25 · Somebody once told me… — John: Against the TikTok's claim that SpaceX sends its first ship to Mars in 2022, John says SpaceX is not sending a ship to Mars in 2022. — 00:01:56
  • 2020-08-25 · Somebody once told me… — John says the TikTok's most popular comments are not about it being fun or silly but about chip implants as a sign of the apocalypse, or about Donald Trump. — 00:02:26
  • 2020-08-25 · Somebody once told me… — John says the TikTok has 12 million views and comes from a verified user. — 00:02:55
  • 2020-08-28 · Break the Mold — Hank says he has been spending a lot of time on TikTok because he is addicted to it. (playful) — 00:00:00
  • 2020-08-28 · Break the Mold — In a comment Hank says YouTube used to be a lot more like TikTok. — creator comment
  • 2020-08-28 · Break the Mold — Hank grants TikTok has problems but questions whether it is more of a security concern than Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. — 00:00:46
  • 2020-08-28 · Break the Mold — Hank says TikTok is in turmoil: its CEO just quit, and Microsoft and Walmart are teaming up to buy its US operations because otherwise the president might ban it. — 00:01:06
  • 2020-08-28 · Break the Mold — Hank says running TikTok is above his pay grade, but being a creator is not: it is what he knows most about. — 00:01:27
  • 2020-08-28 · Break the Mold — Hank says almost all TikTokers would like to be YouTubers or Instagrammers, which does not surprise him; there are good reasons to want that. — 00:01:35
  • 2020-08-28 · Break the Mold — Hank: Second, Hank tells them they are in the perfect place: TikTok's tumult and fragility are the reason it exists now and can be so weird, vibrant, inspiring and surprising. — 00:02:26
  • 2020-08-28 · Break the Mold — recommendation: Hank advises young creators to think about other paths besides TikTok, but probably not the well-trodden ones full of people who already have lots of power. (hedged) — 00:02:41
  • 2020-08-28 · Break the Mold — Hank says that with things tumultuous and the clear paths full, there may be many useful, valuable paths not yet blazed, and that this applies to 2020, not just TikTok. (hedged) — 00:02:55
  • 2020-09-04 · Go Play! — Hank says a young woman's TikTok asking whether math is real and how Pythagoras came up with it asks all the right questions, which lead to a joyous understanding of math. — 00:00:00
  • 2020-09-04 · Go Play! — Hank blesses the young woman for her questions and Kyne the drag queen for explaining mathematics on TikTok. — 00:03:25
  • 2020-11-27 · Finally Launching this Project!!! — announcement: Hank says he did brand deals with TikTokers for the club, and ads may run on podcasts such as 99% Invisible and the Try Guys' podcast. — 00:02:21
  • 2020-12-04 · The Christmas Creature — Hank says he doesn't know why he spent about ten hours in recent weeks on his piece of the unofficial TikTok Ratatouille musical. — 00:03:08
  • 2020-12-08 · A Love Letter to My Brother, Basically — John says Hank made the sock club real by working with others to find artists and manufacturers and by an extremely strange and effective podcast and TikTok marketing campaign. — 00:02:26
  • 2020-12-18 · How to Change What you Want — Hank cannot simply decide to stop wanting Coca-Cola and start wanting to volunteer all the time; what he actually wants is to drink Coca-Cola and watch TikToks. (playful) — 00:00:45

2021

  • 2021-02-05 · The Project for Awesome will be Different This Year! — announcement: Hank: Perks are available only during the P4A, and some donations will be matched: $10 given for Hank's TikTok drafts can become $30 for charity. — 00:00:58
  • 2021-03-09 · Hank Rebranded Without Any of Us Noticing — John: In 2010 Hank was a goofball corndog enthusiast; today he is a TikTok sensation among the world's leading science communicators, two phrases John had never heard in 2010. — 00:00:58
  • 2021-03-12 · A Crisis of Branding — Hank: Ordering a pizza right before recording, Hank gave his name and was told 'I love your TikToks'; he asked to record the person. — 00:00:29
  • 2021-03-12 · A Crisis of Branding — a guest: The pizza worker says Hank's TikToks show an intelligent, well-spoken person raising very interesting topics, a nice educational break in their feed. — 00:00:51
  • 2021-03-12 · A Crisis of Branding — Hank: That is one conception of Hank: the person didn't know his pelican, bean or 'don't eat stuff' content; his pelican TikToks aren't his most successful. — 00:00:51
  • 2021-04-09 · A Thought is Not an Idea — Hank mentions a website, born of a running joke among some people on Twitter, that counts the days since he last started a new thing; it stands at seven days, since the launch of the Life's Little Lies TikTok. (playful) — 00:00:00
  • 2021-04-09 · A Thought is Not an Idea — Hank: In implementation the idea changes: the artists were to be the main marketing, but since most socks were to be surprises, the club turned to TikTok people Hank had met. — 00:01:56
  • 2021-06-15 · VLOGBROTHERS REUNITED!!!! — John: Answering a question about favorite TikTok sounds, John says Sarah dreamed the brothers were making a TikTok to the 'wow, you can really dance' sound while being urged to leave for family stuff. — 00:00:00
  • 2021-09-03 · What the Heck am I doing? — Hank makes about 20 science and 60 non-science TikToks a month, why being a bit of a mystery to him. (playful) — 00:00:47
  • 2021-09-03 · What the Heck am I doing? — Hank is preparing to market the Awesome Socks Club's second year and finished a list of TikTokers to work with on promoting the socks. — 00:01:45
  • 2021-10-01 · A Lie I Heard this Week — Hank says someone on TikTok claimed 'news' stands for 'notable events, weather, and sports'; Hank calls it a lie, a folk etymology: made-up origins that make sense and spread but aren't real. — 00:00:11
  • 2021-10-05 · Why the Heck am I on TikTok??? — Hank says that in May 2020 someone told him TikTok is pretty cool; very soon he was uploading several TikToks a day, and over a year later he still is. — 00:00:00
  • 2021-10-05 · Why the Heck am I on TikTok??? — Hank joined TikTok shortly before his second novel came out and used it to promote the book, unashamed of using his social media skill for work he thinks many people should read. — 00:00:00
  • 2021-10-05 · Why the Heck am I on TikTok??? — The description says Hank doesn't claim a healthy relationship with any of this, but the world changes so fast he wants to stay aware of it, at least for now; ignoring it won't help. — video description
  • 2021-10-05 · Why the Heck am I on TikTok??? — Hank also uses TikTok to promote the Awesome Socks Club and Pizzamas shirts, both of which help build the Maternal Center of Excellence in Sierra Leone. — 00:00:49
  • 2021-10-05 · Why the Heck am I on TikTok??? — Hank: Reason one: TikTok is culturally interesting; Hank loves subcultures, and TikTok is great at tiny subcultures, especially colliding ones like Skyrim urban planning berries-and-cream videos. — 00:00:49
  • 2021-10-05 · Why the Heck am I on TikTok??? — Hank is interested in how communities behave and grow when given great tools; TikTok is a great tool, terrifying too, but still fascinating and fun. — 00:01:18
  • 2021-10-05 · Why the Heck am I on TikTok??? — Hank: Reason two: TikTok is inspiring; its creation tools are good, and more importantly it is a very creative community begging you to make content for it. — 00:01:18
  • 2021-10-05 · Why the Heck am I on TikTok??? — Hank says TikTok's discovery system is better than other platforms at lifting good content that would go unnoticed; not certainly, but with a higher chance, and great work inspires more. — 00:01:18
  • 2021-10-05 · Why the Heck am I on TikTok??? — Hank is not ready to let something as important as TikTok happen outside his notice. — 00:02:16
  • 2021-10-05 · Why the Heck am I on TikTok??? — Hank: Reason five: Hank loves seeing people get curious about their world; TikTok reaches people he otherwise can't, and he loves being there when they first meet the universe's weirder ways. — 00:02:16
  • 2021-10-05 · Why the Heck am I on TikTok??? — Hank recognizes TikTok is a very limited tool at the very beginning of its existence, with a long way to go before we understand what it is and all the harm it can do. — 00:03:01
  • 2021-10-05 · Why the Heck am I on TikTok??? — Hank says TikTok doesn't scratch the itches YouTube does, especially Vlogbrothers, which is unlike any other place on the internet, and that is not just nostalgia for 2007. — 00:03:01
  • 2021-10-07 · We're Thinking About Facebook Wrong — Hank says platforms, viewers and he himself are all bad at this: it is a revolution in human-to-human communication and a baby, with no systems yet for many-to-many decentralized communication. — 00:04:55
  • 2021-10-07 · We're Thinking About Facebook Wrong — Hank: The real danger and power of platforms is not hosting but deciding what gets new eyeballs; promoting is an active editorial decision by the company, even when made by an algorithm. — 00:16:18
  • 2021-10-07 · We're Thinking About Facebook Wrong — Hank: Promoted hateful groups, trending anti-vax points and YouTube's alt-right pipeline are decisions by platforms that didn't think about it; every algorithmic platform has this problem, TikTok too, Hank jokes. — 00:17:04
  • 2021-11-19 · How do We Get Anything Done At All? — Hank: On TikTok, where the crowd is different and often younger, Hank sometimes sees conversations being had that he and everyone he knows finished long ago. — 00:00:00
  • 2021-11-19 · How do We Get Anything Done At All? — Hank: Seeing a TikTok argue how to pronounce GIF, Hank says he is five years into hearing every argument and has settled on both pronunciations being correct. — 00:00:00

2022

Also named in: Planets Don't Exist

2023

  • 2023-01-03 · TAKE IT DOWN A NOTCH — announcement: In a channel comment, John says he has become the Awesome Coffee Club's unpaid social media intern, so far only on Tumblr, and may start a TikTok. — creator comment
  • 2023-01-17 · John Green Answers the Most Searched Hank Green Questions — John adds that Hank is a podcaster and huge on TikTok. — 00:00:29
  • 2023-02-14 · Worst Reunion Video Ever ... or Best? — Hank says they haven't made a single TikTok and that he took four pictures on the trip, all of cats. (playful) — 00:00:37
  • 2023-03-10 · Is it Good or Bad that we Haven't Met Aliens? — Hank says the great filter could be AI, global warming, nuclear weapons or social media, maybe TikTok; we don't know. (unsure) — 00:01:59
  • 2023-03-24 · The Two Reasons Why Humans Have Such Bad Backs — Hank explains that vertebrates' bone-protected spinal column stays flexible through many vertebrae separated by intervertebral discs: a firm but squishy ring containing a gel. (playful) — 00:00:15
  • 2023-04-07 · Getting One Million LinkedIn Followers — Hank says a few years ago he decided to try to get big on TikTok because he missed being part of a new platform's rise, as with YouTube. (hedged) — 00:00:00
  • 2023-04-07 · Getting One Million LinkedIn Followers — Hank says he now has 7 million TikTok followers, more than anywhere else. — 00:00:00
  • 2023-04-07 · Getting One Million LinkedIn Followers — Hank says that after he took off on TikTok John joined and they now share it, but LinkedIn is his. (playful) — 00:03:42
  • 2023-04-21 · On TikTok Bans — Hank says he lives in Montana, the first state to pass a TikTok ban. — 00:00:00
  • 2023-04-21 · On TikTok Bans — The description says a national ban would be a significant loss, and rejects both frames heard so far: TikTok is trash so ban it, or a treasure so don't. — video description
  • 2023-04-21 · On TikTok Bans — Hank: As perhaps the person in Montana with the most TikTok followers, Hank says reporters, local reporters and TikTok's comms people have been calling him for comment. — 00:00:21
  • 2023-04-21 · On TikTok Bans — Hank says Montana can probably not ban TikTok, at least at the moment. (hedged) — 00:00:47
  • 2023-04-21 · On TikTok Bans — Hank says the ban, headed to Governor Greg Gianforte, who is expected to sign it, would stop people downloading TikTok from an app store. (hedged) — 00:00:47
  • 2023-04-21 · On TikTok Bans — Hank does not think a national TikTok ban would be performative in the same way. — 00:01:33
  • 2023-04-21 · On TikTok Bans — Hank: Not claiming to understand US-China relations, Hank says what the Chinese government would do with its influence over TikTok in 10 years may differ greatly from today. (hedged) — 00:01:33
  • 2023-04-21 · On TikTok Bans — Hank understands the worry that TikTok could be used to spy on high-profile people or to tilt the scale toward content that deepens social rifts. — 00:02:14
  • 2023-04-21 · On TikTok Bans — Hank says TikTok is not just a place where content goes: it is many cultures and genres, where things are created that would not be created elsewhere. — 00:02:41
  • 2023-05-05 · New Office Tour!! — Hank first found Emily Rayna on TikTok and reached out to her over a year ago to start the project, which is now complete. (hedged) — 00:03:21
  • 2023-06-16 · So, About This HAIR… — Hank says easier things than feeling connected compete (TikTok, smartphone games, work to pay the bills), and investments in connection are harder partly because they are not necessary. — 00:01:22
  • 2023-06-23 · Understanding Cancer Survival Rates — Ann Russell (quoted): Hank shares TikTok creator Ann Russell's point, made during her own cancer diagnosis, that someone with an 85% chance of dying within five years is 100% alive now. — 00:10:06
  • 2023-07-07 · What to Get for a Cancer Patient — recommendation: Hank suggests a reminder every two weeks to send the person funny TikToks, offer a phone call, or bring them a coffee. — 00:06:05
  • 2023-09-01 · The Weirdest Post-Chemo Symptoms — Hank started following a young man on TikTok after getting cancer because he talked about his cancer; the man has died but his videos, normal content, keep being posted. — 00:00:00
  • 2023-09-26 · THE REVEAL — Hank recalls a TikTok comment saying he went from enthusiastic TA to grizzled tenured professor in two months, and says he feels that. (playful) — 00:01:06
  • 2023-10-03 · Nourished by Leaving — John recalls Hank's TikTok: humans live briefly and our species is young, but seen as part of one continuous biological phenomenon called life, things look quite different. — 00:00:35
  • 2023-10-06 · I Quit — Hank says he has never been a full-time CEO: in that time he also wrote two novels, made countless TikToks and spent far too much time on Twitter. (playful) — 00:01:01
  • 2023-10-06 · I Quit — announcement: Hank says he is not leaving Complexly; he may take special projects and smaller things, and stop being a bottleneck when sick or busy talking about worms on TikTok. (hedged) — 00:05:52
  • 2023-10-31 · How to Make Hot Sauce for Just $65 per Bottle — John says he did not want a clippable audio or video statement that could be edited into misinformation on TikTok, which he has often seen in recent weeks. — creator comment
  • 2023-11-03 · We Need to talk about Sarapocial Relationships — Hank gives examples: part of the core finds heavy TikTok use ludicrous, given the data it holds, while part disagrees; the core has disagreed over separating art from its creator. — 00:05:38
  • 2023-11-17 · WHAT AM I DOING — Hank: During chemo Hank saw a Gubbins gameplay trailer on TikTok, contacted the developers, got early access and loved the game. — 00:02:09
  • 2023-12-01 · It's OK if you think less of me after this! — Hank says the CD includes a song by Elle Cordova, recently popular on TikTok and Instagram but a YouTuber back in 2007. — 00:00:34

Also named in: John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated

2024

  • 2024-01-05 · I'm Scared of 2024...So Here's 3 Optimistic Thoughts — Hank blames the culture-war talk and nationalism on the disintegration of the media landscape, caused by platforms like TikTok, Facebook and YouTube maximizing time on platform, where moral outrage sticks best. — 00:01:32
  • 2024-01-05 · I'm Scared of 2024...So Here's 3 Optimistic Thoughts — Hank's first optimistic thought: unlike content platforms, which met much optimism and little pushback, generative AI is not being allowed to have its way with us. — 00:02:02
  • 2024-02-16 · How Much Does it Cost to be a Nerdfighter — announcement: Hank: The digital download bundle has Hank's first stand-up set, exclusive podcasts, John and Hank's TikTok drafts and the first chapters of John's new book. — 00:05:34
  • 2024-03-01 · Flyana Boss Asks Hank Anything — recommendation: The description points viewers to Flyana Boss on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Spotify. — video description
  • 2024-03-01 · Flyana Boss Asks Hank Anything — Hank says many different car companies would make hacking all cars at once hard, though Kia and Honda this year (2024) had an easy way to steal them spread as a TikTok trend. (hedged) — 00:03:03
  • 2024-03-08 · I Believed These Four Lies — Hank saw a TikTok animation showing rent and household income diverging dramatically since the 1990s; it matched his understanding, so he did not question it. — 00:00:20
  • 2024-03-08 · I Believed These Four Lies — Hank, who trusts Jon Stewart a lot, accepted the low figure because it fit his views, until a TikTok showed it was wrong. — 00:04:14
  • 2024-04-26 · One Year Out. — announcement: Hank: The sock says it is taking over Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts for five days, at Hank's insistence, on the Good Store accounts linked in the description. (playful) — 00:04:03
  • 2024-05-24 · An Ancient Apocalypse — In a channel comment Hank says people who approach him in public mostly know him from Crash Course, with TikTok second. — creator comment
  • 2024-05-24 · An Ancient Apocalypse — Hank says co-founding the community is also weirder than being 'that science guy from TikTok'. — 00:01:27
  • 2024-06-21 · I Was So Sad that I Did Comedy — Hank says stand-up got him out of scrolling TikTok, an emotional minefield and less rewarding than a 60- or 90-minute crafted piece that tells a story. — 00:02:55
  • 2024-06-25 · taking a break — John says that is how he feels about making stuff now, especially on Twitter or TikTok but also everywhere. — 00:01:56
  • 2024-08-02 · My Letter to the Future — Hank predicts Americans in 100 years will not know what Twitter was and barely know Facebook or TikTok, but will still carry phones and watch YouTube videos. — 00:03:20
  • 2024-08-07 · Dear Hank and John Livestream! — Hank says his TikTok star shone brightly, then he got cancer and Vlogbrothers had its biggest subscriber day in ten years. (playful) — 00:08:09
  • 2024-08-07 · Dear Hank and John Livestream! — Hank, citing his video last week (week of 29 July 2024), says he is convinced YouTube is not past its prime. — 00:15:05
  • 2024-08-07 · Dear Hank and John Livestream! — John agrees YouTube is probably the only social platform with that solidity; he feels Facebook, Twitter and especially TikTok crumbling, Instagram maybe more solid. (hedged) — 00:15:05
  • 2024-08-07 · Dear Hank and John Livestream! — Hank says the internet is at a fracturing moment: Twitter's X-ification, a possible TikTok ban, and sites shutting the open web to stop AI companies scraping content. — 00:17:30
  • 2024-08-07 · Dear Hank and John Livestream! — Hank says platforms are in an arms race to be more addictive, and TikTok got popular because it held attention better than any other. — 00:18:07
  • 2024-08-27 · How The Internet Is Rigged — John says Hank bet on TikTok in 2018 and benefited financially when it blew up. — 00:03:14
  • 2024-08-27 · How The Internet Is Rigged — John says about 3% of TikTok's revenue goes to independent creators and about 30% to record labels, because labels have far more collective bargaining power. — 00:03:53
  • 2024-08-27 · How The Internet Is Rigged — John: Agreeing with Hank's Friday video, John says YouTube differs from TikTok, Reddit, Facebook and Instagram, which take content, monetize it and give users only an audience and karma. — 00:04:06
  • 2024-09-17 · My Consciousness. Their Capital. — John says watching TikTok lets TikTok decide whether he feels happy or outraged, what he sees and what he sympathizes with; his only choice is whether to engage. — 00:00:29
  • 2024-09-17 · My Consciousness. Their Capital. — John says users shape their algorithm only in that it finds and uses their vulnerabilities; the idea that he decides how he feels after opening TikTok is a lie he tells himself. — 00:00:58
  • 2024-09-17 · My Consciousness. Their Capital. — John says the rush of panic was not so different from sensing a threat in a disparaging TikTok comment or a big story breaking live on Twitter: a drama with an unknown ending. — 00:02:43
  • 2024-09-20 · Do I Regret TikTok? — Hank says almost exactly four years ago (September 2020) he uploaded his first TikTok; his fourth got millions of views, and with a book coming and his fascination with platforms he pushed hard into TikTok. — 00:00:00
  • 2024-09-20 · Do I Regret TikTok? — Hank says part of him is very glad he pushed into TikTok and another part is not. — 00:00:00
  • 2024-09-20 · Do I Regret TikTok? — Hank cites Kyla Scanlon's TikTok saying our eyeballs are the most expensive thing we own, his new favorite way of saying something he has long said. — 00:00:00
  • 2024-09-20 · Do I Regret TikTok? — Hank says there is a lot he genuinely likes about TikTok: he has discovered many fantastic comedians, artists, musicians and science communicators who reach very different audiences. — 00:00:58
  • 2024-09-20 · Do I Regret TikTok? — Hank calls TikTok a culture factory full of art, experiments and storytelling; he took part in its beautiful moments, and it fascinated and inspired him and changed his life. — 00:01:27
  • 2024-09-20 · Do I Regret TikTok? — Hank says almost half of Gen Z wishes TikTok had never been invented. — 00:02:26
  • 2024-09-20 · Do I Regret TikTok? — Hank thinks TikTok's greatest advantage over Instagram and YouTube, besides being first, was simply that it was cooler. — 00:02:26
  • 2024-09-20 · Do I Regret TikTok? — Hank says caring is the opposite of cool: once TikTok success mattered, creators could not help caring, which hurt its coolness and can start a doom loop in what content succeeds. — 00:02:55
  • 2024-09-20 · Do I Regret TikTok? — Hank thinks TikTok is structurally worse at handling its power: short-form video earns less per minute uploaded, so there is more to moderate and less money for moderation. — 00:04:52
  • 2024-09-20 · Do I Regret TikTok? — Hank notes the problem that TikTok may be controlled or influenced by a government that would prefer the US to trust itself less and be more dysfunctional. (hedged) — 00:04:52
  • 2024-09-20 · Do I Regret TikTok? — Hank does not regret his experiences on TikTok, but regrets a little that it made him substantially more famous, though fame has benefits too. — 00:05:21
  • 2024-09-20 · Do I Regret TikTok? — Hank: What Hank definitely regrets is helping put power into a place he cannot control, does not understand and does not think has been a net positive for society. — 00:05:21
  • 2024-09-20 · Do I Regret TikTok? — Hank says he went into TikTok curious, hungry, excited and amazed rather than strategic; though somewhat manipulated by its systems, it really delivered value for him. — 00:05:50
  • 2024-09-20 · Do I Regret TikTok? — Hank often, though not always, feels the parts of TikTok he spends time in and creates for are good, which makes it confusing. — 00:06:49
  • 2024-09-20 · Do I Regret TikTok? — Hank has little faith in the governance of these spaces, but much more in YouTube's than in TikTok's. — 00:07:18
  • 2024-09-20 · Do I Regret TikTok? — Hank: As TikTok stopped being fun, buzzy and cool, it changed for Hank from a place of doing things with people and making culture to one where things just happened to him; he enjoys it less. — 00:07:45
  • 2024-09-30 · Put a little bit of cinnamon in it — Hank keeps thinking about a TikTok joke from six months ago, Eminem ordering a coffee from a barista and asking for a little cinnamon; it did poorly, partly because his delivery wasn't Eminem-like enough. (playful) — 00:01:03
  • 2024-10-02 · What I learned from the weirdest day of my life — Hank says that if he had wasted the time saved from the laundromat scrolling TikTok, it wouldn't have solved much of a problem for himself. — 00:03:53
  • 2024-11-01 · Working Through a Crisis with My Brother — Hank says he mostly imagines himself through how he imagines others (people he knows, employees, people on Twitter and TikTok) see him. — 00:05:36
  • 2024-11-19 · Let's Talk about Money — John gives two reasons sock income fell: some members cancel when their sock drawers fill up, and TikTok, which used to heavily subsidize advertising, stopped doing so. (hedged) — 00:01:37
  • 2024-11-22 · Populism, Media Revolutions, and Our Terrible Moment — Hank contrasts a reporter's six months and a bureaucrat's four years with RFK Jr., who would attack the FDA across platforms and podcasts within a day, prioritizing views. (playful) — 00:17:27
  • 2024-12-20 · Fine, I'll Talk About the Drones… — Hank says intentional hoaxes follow: a video taken credulously on TikTok came from an account that posted a very similar, clearly fake video. — 00:08:45

2025

  • 2025-04-25 · How We Form Opinions — Hank wants open minds about vaccines and electric cars, which have been extremely beneficial to his life, and about whether TikTok is bad and how to handle the coming demographic transition. — 00:07:44
  • 2025-05-30 · My Rare 'Disorder' — Hank naturally falls asleep around 2 a.m. and wakes around 10 whenever left to his own devices; it is not staying up late, which is different from scrolling TikTok. — 00:02:26
  • 2025-06-06 · The Secret Inside my MIT Commencement Speech — Hank introduces himself to the graduates as a TikToker who recently blind-ranked AI companies by how much they look like buttholes, now giving the MIT commencement speech. (playful) — 00:03:14
  • 2025-06-06 · The Secret Inside my MIT Commencement Speech — Hank describes his ludicrous career: TikTok dances to Elmo remixes, two best-selling science fiction novels, fart listicles, interviewing presidents, videos about giraffe sex and selling multiple companies. (playful) — 00:10:41
  • 2025-06-13 · Moving to Hope from Hopelessness (3 ways) — Hank cites a TikTok's phrase 'humanize before they can militarize': militarization is easy once dehumanization occurs, and since dehumanization is a natural reaction we must build against it. — 00:05:51
  • 2025-06-24 · Am I Cigarettes? — In a comment John clarifies that Instagram is not healthier than TikTok, both are horrific; it is healthier for him only because he uses it less. — creator comment
  • 2025-06-24 · Am I Cigarettes? — John cannot stop: as he chose Nicorette over cigarettes, he picks the healthier-for-him Instagram and Bluesky over Twitter and TikTok, but he cannot stop using the social internet. — 00:03:26
  • 2025-06-27 · You’re Not Addicted to Content, You’re Starving for Information — Hank says a video titled 'we don't use TikTok, TikTok uses us' would be easy and get many views; it is sometimes true and might even do some good. — 00:00:58
  • 2025-06-27 · You’re Not Addicted to Content, You’re Starving for Information — Hank: Lessons from food: companies make things appealing, even addictive; we have less control than we imagine; giving agency away a little is fine, completely is damaging and cringe. — 00:10:52
  • 2025-08-19 · The Problem with My Brother's Hit New App — John says that as of recording Hank's app Focus Friend is the most popular app in the United States, ahead of ChatGPT, TikTok, Gmail and all others. — 00:00:03
  • 2025-08-19 · The Problem with My Brother's Hit New App — John has used Focus Friend for weeks; writing a lot since getting home from tour, he says it has helped him tremendously to focus on writing instead of his phone. — 00:00:43
  • 2025-09-19 · Let's Just Be Stupid For a Moment — John wins tortilla slap, a game one of them learned about on TikTok, without having to slap Hank. (playful) — 00:07:02
  • 2025-10-17 · We Never Know What Anything Means — Hank says the recommendation algorithms of YouTube, TikTok, Threads and Twitter already erode trust without wanting to: told to keep people on websites, they made us hate each other more, fraying society. — 00:03:50
  • 2025-10-21 · Is Book Publishing Dying? An Author's Perspective — John says the idea that TikTok is making reading impossible is a little off base, though, as he will explain, also a little on base. — 00:01:01
  • 2025-10-21 · Is Book Publishing Dying? An Author's Perspective — John says hardcover books can now cost $27 or $30, while TikTok and Instagram are free unless you count the cost of your attention. — 00:03:52
  • 2025-10-21 · Is Book Publishing Dying? An Author's Perspective — John argues books can still compete with TikTok for some people: TikTok is better entertainment but books are deeper, letting you visit otherwise inaccessible rooms in your mind. — 00:03:52

Also named in: How the P4A is Changing in 2025!

2026

  • 2026-02-15 · Project for Awesome 2026 part 5! — Hank realised he was putting about 60% of a YouTube video's effort into a TikTok, while a YouTube video is far better for the world; he now makes far fewer TikToks, having once made three a day. — 03:41:03
  • 2026-02-15 · Project for Awesome 2026 part 5! — John says Hank, once addicted to TikTok and now to Hank's channel videos, will be making videos when he is 90. (playful) — 03:41:29
  • 2026-03-27 · What is 'Slop' (and why it gives me hope) — Hank says Fruit Love Island, a series about sexy fruit people, is popping off on TikTok, reaching 3 million followers in about 10 days of posting. — 00:00:00
  • 2026-05-05 · Noted Brother Hank Green — John hails Hank as inventor of 2D Glasses, TikTok science guy, Crash Course, VidCon and Project for Awesome man, best-selling novelist, Billboard-charting musician and Emmy winner. (playful) — 00:00:13
  • 2026-06-05 · The Things We Don't Discuss — Hank says TikTok counts a view earlier than YouTube: a swipe watched for two or three seconds might count, while YouTube requires a click and longer watching. (hedged) — 00:03:00
  • 2026-06-05 · The Things We Don't Discuss — Hank says TikTok's separate monetization metric, qualified views, hovers between 20 and 50% of the reported view number. — 00:03:29
  • 2026-06-05 · The Things We Don't Discuss — Hank says TikTok reports higher view numbers to look impressive and partly to manipulate creators into feeling more successful. — 00:03:59
  • 2026-09-15 · YouTube Says This Video Has 683,183 Views, It Actually Has 312,584 — John says that in the last month YouTube, borrowing from Instagram and TikTok, began counting a view when anyone watches any frame, instead of after an unknown number of seconds. — 00:01:27
  • 2026-09-15 · YouTube Says This Video Has 683,183 Views, It Actually Has 312,584 — John says the extra views bring no more revenue or deep community engagement: most are 'trash views', as on Instagram and TikTok. — 00:02:26
  • 2026-09-18 · John was Wrong about YouTube Views — Hank says the law bites both creators chasing TikTok views that cannot build a sustainable audience and platforms that push the number up because creators and brands measure by it. — 00:02:30
  • 2026-09-18 · John was Wrong about YouTube Views — Hank says TikTok drove view inflation: short content means more views per minute, and scrolling until you find a video to watch might count five or 10 views. (hedged) — 00:02:59
  • 2026-09-18 · John was Wrong about YouTube Views — Hank says early creators are paid in views: 50 or 100,000 TikTok views feel like the YouTube numbers they grew up with, though they are different views. — 00:03:28
  • 2026-09-18 · John was Wrong about YouTube Views — Hank thinks many TikTokers would be well served coming to YouTube, but feel their views there are much lower. — 00:03:28
  • 2026-09-18 · John was Wrong about YouTube Views — Hank says a YouTube view was worth at least 10 TikTok views, and YouTube numbers had to be multiplied by five for the difference in views, or used to be. — 00:03:58
  • 2026-09-18 · John was Wrong about YouTube Views — Hank says he has seen himself paid far more for a TikTok or Instagram video than he feels he delivers in value, and far less on YouTube. — 00:04:27
  • 2026-09-18 · John was Wrong about YouTube Views — Hank attributes the gap to inflated view numbers on TikTok and Instagram, which YouTube's are not, or were not. — 00:04:56
  • 2026-09-18 · John was Wrong about YouTube Views — Hank says YouTube now counts views the way Instagram, TikTok and Facebook always have: any information from the video rather than text and thumbnail. — 00:05:25
  • 2026-09-18 · John was Wrong about YouTube Views — Hank admits big numbers still work on his meat brain, even on his own YouTube videos whose engaged views he knows. (playful) — 00:07:17
  • 2026-09-18 · John was Wrong about YouTube Views — Hank says creators should be paid more; it is insane that they have been paid similar amounts for a TikTok view and a YouTube view. — 00:07:46
  • 2026-10-01 · Are We Still YouTubers? — Hank finds it weird that classes of creators are named after the company owning their platform (YouTuber, TikToker, Instagram influencer); YouTuber is at least better than Instagram influencer. — 00:00:00
  • 2026-10-01 · Are We Still YouTubers? — Hank sees names differentiating: video essayists, storytime animators, streamers, and explainers or communicators, work he sometimes does on Vlogbrothers and often on Hank's channel and TikTok. — 00:03:08

Also named in: The Last Normal Year

Also named in other years (nothing said): Kylie Jenner Shows Me What's Wrong with Reddit (2019-11-19)