I Posted a Short EVERY Day and THIS Happened! :O

perhaps my most annoying video so far
if the bit about language affecting our brains tickles your fancy, listen to the first 10 minutes of this Cal Newport lecture: • Eliminate Distraction:...

[@JacobGeller]

The different audiences note is so real. I can always tell when even a normal video "breaks containment" and starts getting watched by a way bigger audience, I can only imagine that'd be compounded w shorts.

[@netshaq2]

Breaking containment is a great way to put it. A new group of people shows up without the prerequisite knowledge of past videos who aren't bought in to the value proposition regarding what's on offer here. Then you add the fact that shorts-watchers find you by accident and a layer of "Who cares, didn't ask" shows up from people who never clicked on a thumbnail or read my titles

[@BenExcell]

I'm know I'm making "that" youtube comment but... seeing you two in the same space was a total surprise but makes total sense. You're both incredibly talented wordsmiths that are totally elevating the platform.

[@AdamSliger]

for me that's when "this guy has a punchable face" starts rolling in lmao

[@drfruitsalad]

​@@BenExcell my thoughts exactly, feels almost antithetical to the videos theme to freak out about this but seeing Jacob Geller in the comments genuinely got me excited

[@WeLoveTenchi]

Happy to see two of my favorite content creators crossing paths

[@Cmanorange]

how can you possibly go through the process of leaving a comment and not even see what video it's on. great video babish!

[@Tesdinic]

Honestly part of that might be the platform being janky, or not realizing you swiped to the next video. Heck, I can't even tell when I have liked a short while on desktop because it doesn't work with my Darkview.

[@fuzzjohn]

@@Tesdinic Yes, I've gotten the comment section from a previous short instead of the one I'm currently watching several times.

[@cautera3403]

I think alot of people comment while high or drunk.

[@cptcallison]

There's a chance they reported the video or blocked the channel before trying to comment without realizing that goes to the next video

[@paveloleynikov4715]

For example, it is pretty easy in long form video. Unfinished comment could remain in post form even after YT moved to next video in playlist . But I think you could get similar results in shorts if you try.

[@BrianLagerstrom]

This is the best KZbin video I’ve watched all week.

[@misoks]

I love that being 35 and sustaining psychic damage from vertical video and its attendant commenting behavior is now a distinct demographic, and I'm proud to be part of it.

[@Piratederp]

It's weird that refusing to watch trash disposable low effort content for people with the attention span of an ant has become a demographic, but here we are.

[@1TieDye1]

What is there to be proud of? You landed in that demographic, mostly by chance.

[@hesseceja2830]

im 22 and i feel the exact same way so i just think its what people who arent addicted feel like

[@leporid257]

I'm 30 and i like that kid. i also probably have adhd and watch most things on at least 1.5x speed. there was a time i trained myself up to 3.5x speed on vlc but i don't have access to media like that anymore.

[@Matt-qi5ff]

​@hesseceja2830 i'm 22 too and the comments also caused me psychic damage to the point i stopped watching reels

[@AaronAllsop]

I think what you said about making shorts in their native format instead of repurposing old content is really what made your shorts stand out. I know that I found your channel this last month because I saw your shorts and watched them because they stood out from everything before and after as I was cycling through shorts. KZbin then started suggesting your other videos and now I own a pair of gloves just for washing dishes.

[@ScottCramer]

I posted on TikTok for about a month back in 2021. Pulled like 10 million views and a ton of followers. I deleted TikTok the next month because the people were just… not good to deal with.

[@MrSvs99]

Ayy Scott Cramer watches InternetShaq. You two are some of my favorite people on this platform. It seems like you both want the best for your audience with how y'all advocate for healthy media consumption. That's pretty frickin rad 😎I love the positivity too. Seeing a new Scott or Shaq video in my subscription feed really brightens my day :) Keep doing you and keep making Jake & Amir references in your vids they are ACE

[@ottermanuk]

Strugglers and shaqquers unite

[@Gr95dc]

during the pandemic I tried posting videos related to my hobbies, I didn't get much views but I did get some pretty stupid comments. I couldn't engage with that, my motivation dropped and I stopped posting after like 5 posts

[@ohiasdxfcghbljokasdjhnfvaw4ehr]

just dont read the comments bro

[@cringechannel4213]

Scotty my boy

[@religionofh2942]

The thumbnail was so good I almost ignored it lol

[@peccator4050]

same ! i thought "is it april fools again?"

[@xinidae]

"how to eat a chick fil a sandwich" this had me dying 🤣🤣🤣

[@ItsMrBozToYou]

Step 1: go somewhere else that actually makes chicken crispy.

[@DB-ku7vu]

@@ItsMrBozToYouthat might be the only wrong answer. You wouldn’t be eating a Chick-fil-A sandwich.

[@mo0man]

I giggled out loud. He should actually make that video. It won't be good, but he should make it anyway

[@lvankeulen7478]

The whole bit about prescriptive videos doing better really puts my unidentified horror with shorts into just a few words. The "here's my personal research and expertise, please form your own conclusion" format is a dying breed on the internet. Really love your writing and continued integrity. Lord knows how many fat stacks you're giving up to keep the quality and meaning in these videos, for which I'm very grateful.

[@TheeBurgerDude]

The comment section stuff is so real. I thought mine were garbage whenever a video would hit because it's cool to hate vegans, but it's honestly just across the board. I've gotten to the point that I just block and have a lot of words screened, and I never go in the held for review comments. Very dark place.

[@felesnocis]

I’ve had to stop watching content creators I actually like because their comment sections are terrifying. It’s really sad.

[@jac1011]

I'll be honest I love your vids but I will never go into your shorts comment section again. It's too bad. Im sure that in an alternate universe its a great thought provoking place.

[@melrose4580]

Love your shorts though especially the random screaming at the end

[@plutonasa]

The effect of shorts on the creator and audience engagement differences breakdown was infinitely more interesting that just "how much I made on shorts".

[@AlecSouthwelll]

Etymology Nerd catching strays 😂

[@GypsumGeneration]

Your note on the viewer being primed with the prescriptive ear is so true! I ran a tiktok account during 2021 and by far the largest post was a joke about selling artisanal reclaimed toilet paper, which tens of thousands of people took as an invitation to tell me that covid wasn't real LMAO

[@VPCh.]

I've noticed that the "Eternal September" effect happens to the comment sections of youtubers who suddenly grow too fast. Moderate growth lets the new viewers have a chance to acclimate to the channel and learn from the current viewers what the culture is. Our interactions are shaped by how we see others in the comments acting. But if it grows too fast, then the culture that was carefully honed and guided by the youtuber for years ends up being overwhelmed and lost. In your case, an old school viewer would know that you generally dislike using absolute statements and support critical thinking about commonly held food ideas. A new viewer might not learn that and just see you as that "confusing groceries" guy.

[@a445fa6sd]

I really like the 4/3 video, it makes it easy to watch on a phone both vertically and horizontally. I'm currently watching it while walking where holding my phone sideways is not comfortable.

[@illhaveawtrplz]

Agreed. It’s also weirdly nice and satisfying to see a KZbin video entirely fill an iPad screen.

[@user-uv2cp1qd1j]

Idk why my phone forces 4:3 videos into landscape when I go fullscreen

[@a445fa6sd]

@@user-uv2cp1qd1j I pull down from the title and it goes vertical fullscreen (on my android phone)

[@a445fa6sd]

​@@user-uv2cp1qd1j you can pull down from around where the title is to go fullscreen vertical (on my phone at least)

[@a445fa6sd]

You can pull down from around the title to go vertical-fullscreen (at least on android) (this is my 3rd time replying, comments keep dissapearing)

[@YarraYora]

OHHH SO THAT'S WHY THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH SHORTS FROM YOU, man i know being a youtuber is stressful but thanks for giving more information on how much more stressful it is

[@wasabisniffles]

That God gave us Hennessy bit gave me whiplash

[@meredith62]

i found your channel through your shorts posting experiment and i really liked how informative yet value-neutral your videos were. so i checked out your longer videos and i've really appreciated your critical thinking and how carefully constructed and dryly funny the long form stuff is. and you've inspired me to start cooking a lot more, and try new recipes. in short (haha) i appreciate the experiment so i could find your channel, which i really enjoy. i don't usually leave comments but i'll try commenting more to even out the weirdos and trolls lol

[@charliemortenson85]

Mannnn you’re killing it. I’ve never seen such a frank (and compelling) discussion of youtube labor, the platform’s incentive structure and its consequences. Keep it up

[@creeel]

I remember a tweet that went like "Twitter is the only website where you can write a sentence and people will read an entirely different sentence. Like if you say 'I like apples,' someone is gonna come say 'So you hate oranges?' What? No. That's an entirely new sentence." At first I was like "so true man Twitter sucks," but now I'm realizing that this is just the effect of rapid-fire short-form content, especially when its served to lots of actual children. In a full length KZbin video, viewers come in with expectations, but you can usually temper them and have them leave with a balanced view of what you said. Shorts or Twitter or Reels or TikTok viewers are on this interaction cycle where content is almost morphed into something they can interact with, even if they totally lose the plot. Most children aren't buying groceries, but when you make an offhanded statement about Miracle Whip or Pepsi being less popular, that's close enough to their experiences to have it subconsciously twisted into something to react to. Every short is treated as end-all-be-all, no nuance or actual discussion allowed.

[@MossMothMyBeloved]

So you hate waffles?

[@guerillawhite3083]

It was waffles and pancakes not apples and oranges but yeah

[@nina7910]

I feel like it's also an unhealthy dose of individualism. You can post a video about making an omelet, and suddenly a dozen people want to know how to prepare the recipe if you're allergic to eggs. The highly personalized For You pages made everyone think that all the content in the world simply must be made for them, and it sucks.

[@Blewlongmun]

This is 90% of the issue with 90% of politics right now. " *This* is a problem" "Oh so _this_ isn't a problem?" "That's not what I said?" "It's what you implied?"

[@Aelffwynn]

​@@Blewlongmun I've heard that referred to as "whataboutism" and it's been around for a long time. I can see how short-form content may exacerbate it, though. The best way I know to cut through that is to say, "Hey. If someone punches you in the face, and you are upset, should I stop the person who did it, and get you an ice pack? Or should I rant at you about all the other faces that have been punched?"

[@faikanamutsu6530]

As someone in the process of doing a Media Studies degree, this definitely hit home, especially the bit about McLuhan. It reminded me of an article from 2018 that I read about platform affordances and how a given platform impacts and shapes the media that's posted on it, and how the different platforms have different affordances. I'm curious to see if these affordances are going to become increasingly consolidated with how social media platforms and content are starting to homogenize like you mentioned re Shorts/TikToks/Reels etc. It's also not so surprising that the 'shorts' audience is so much nastier, but its definitely interesting to see how much the platform and its affordances/conventions influence how the audiences act. Excellent stuff as always!

[@netshaq2]

you may enjoy reading about "epistemic environments"

[@0rtu_Solis]

@@netshaq2 I’m really glad you tried out posting shorts because it helped me find your channel. I really enjoy your videos where you try to explore internet events/culture and bring actual nuance into discussions by actually having an unpopular initial take that makes perfectly good sense when fleshed out. You didn’t like Hbomber’s overly long expose on plagiarism. You didn’t like/understand the vast majority of video essays. You didn’t understand why content creators had a moral panic over gambling. These are takes that cause an immediate reaction, but in the world of short form content, internet users immediately start typing before listening to a fleshed out take. We are so used to reaction-seeking intentionally bad takes I think many people my age (21 for me but I’m referring to people both slightly older and younger than myself ) don’t even stop to consider that reasonable people still exist on the internet and people have good reasons for takes they might have a knee-jerk reaction to as obnoxiously bad. Your channel really feels unique and I am so happy I found it. I hope my comment does help to drown out at least a portion of the negativity and disappointment you’ve gotten in your comments from this experiment as a whole.

[@soffeebeans]

I'm a little over a decade younger than you, but you kinda hit the nail on the head with how I feel about short form content as a consumer. So much of it is either prescriptive or flat out incorrect, but that doesn't really matter. A short video with a glaring inaccuracy will get _more_ engagement from people rushing to the comments to correct it. And those comments - well it isn't even worth reading if someone already pointed out an obvious flaw, because the act of reading them tends to increase my blood pressure by a significant degree. Add to that a complete misunderstanding of how these algorithms work, and you get people who take personal offense to content being shown to them, and blame the creator. I think folks (including me, I'm commenting on a KZbin video) just want to express their opinions and have almost too much ability to do so. You don't have to think "Is this productive? Is this interesting? Would anyone give a shit about reading this?" because you can just type out your thoughts, hit post, and forget about it. Meanwhile, your comment that you no longer think about at all is up forever on that video. In order to interact with the comments, people have to read stuff that you typed out with zero thought. And then add on however many tens or hundreds of thousands of other people doing the exact same thing...

[@ZackarySmigel]

I've pretty much avoided creating short-form content. I think it can work for a ton of creators, but some creators and some content styles are definitely more suitable for short-form content than others. Great video, dude! Love the transparency.

[@felesnocis]

Oh hey!! It’s you! I love your long form content! It’s always fun to see creators you respect watching other creators you like.

[@Nathanialjg]

I would love to see you, Hank Green and Marques Brownlee do a collab live/panel/discussion on this topic.

[@domnelson5063]

Marques is probably too busy giving Elon a foot rub.

[@AnqaOdyssey]

Pirate Software would probably be good also considering his stellar rise on KZbin and especially through shorts.

[@Cpuour1]

The part about "terrible comments" resonates with me on a deep level. I've written material online and have accumulated a type of audience that resonates with me over the years. But whenever I began writing about a topic that happened to be "on trend," my comment section became completely overrun by an entirely new genre of people with... questionable ways of thinking, and I found myself having to explain extremely simple concepts that I never had to explain before. It's like my own "Bean Soup Problem." I used to enjoy reading comments, especially when others actually helped me gain more insight about the topics. These days, combing through comments is emotionally draining for me.

[@Ham4Ever1]

08:07 , this scares me. I have been thinking about conversations lately that have veered into this gravity well. I describe it like we're beginning to almost auto-recognize prescriptive stance in any statement in the way we see faces in shapes or patterns; or, it's always been a tendency of people and I'm just suddenly aware. It does sure seem like a new tendency to me right now though.

[@MrDancingrobots]

As an enfranchised long form viewer who loves to cook, I found the shorts really fun and informative. I was kind of sad to see them end, but the unintended consequences seem like a real deterrent depending on how you want to curate your viewership and comment community.

[@shocollo4388]

Very articulate. Feels like the old internet.

[@michaelnishiguchi3176]

I really enjoyed your confusing groceries series. Sorry to hear the new audience had some insane comments.

[@Jason-fp7vi]

Pulling out a Marshal McLuhan reference is very on brand lol

[@ethandavis1870]

Shorts can certainly be a wasteland but I found your channel through there and really enjoy the traditional length videos you put out. Keep up the great work! Edit: FUCK WRONG VIDEO

[@YarraYora]

personally when it comes to your usual video format i always thought that it hits the sweet spot of not too short or too long. you summarized the important information concisely while continuously reminding people that your words are not a rule, but based on your personal experience and things might go differently for other people, which i guess for people who DONT enjoy thinking within context isn't as engaging as a less than 5 minutes scam video with a bunch of fancy (annoying) sound effect showing you how to easily make tanghulu (that explodes when you try irl)

[@dillenpeace5602]

this is why im a "loyal sub" bc youre honest and straightforward. no gimmicks no "subtle" ad rolls just professional and transparent. your work is much valued and appreciated!! and it's inspiring to actually see someone not let money influence you to change your intentions and values. all in addition to being one of the best cook/chef/food pages on here. and for what its worth i also much prefer yt videos as opposed to shorts especially for cooking videos

[@kniferaffe]

I hope that dude who emailed you got a Barkley care package as a thank you for that 7k idea he put into your head.

[@hayden32040]

Couple of thoughts: You are truly so articulate, thoughtful, and intelligent. I'm just constantly impressed by your mind, seriously. I would love a rundown of some of your favorite channels as a fellow 'KZbin addict' my feed is in dire need of some new blood I cannot stand the "mistakes put into shorts/reels intentionally (or not) to drive comments and engagement" It is the most devious cheap and frustrating thing in the world to me lol

[@outlawreader]

I second this.

[@WeAreDraper]

The value of this video for smaller creators like me cannot be understated. I have loads of respect for the amount of free and valuable information you give in every video you make Shaq. Pls never stop🙏🏻

[@Nayazeta]

Great Video, there's an article in Smithsonian Magazine "Does the Linguistic Theory at the Center of the Film ‘Arrival’ Have Any Merit?" that talks about linguistic relativity, Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, and there seems to be significant disagreement among linguists.

[@Alevuss92]

Yeah, among linguists, we've all seen the movie but I've never met a linguist who thought it was an accurate portrayal of linguistic relativity or elicitation with speakers of an unknown language. Over the last 35+ years, the consensus has been that the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis may have some merit, but nothing that's noticeable outside of a lab. tbh I appreciate that 'Arrival' got people interested in the field, but it increasingly feels like this is the only story Hollywood knows how to tell about our field.

[@timoblack1151]

Just wanted to let you know that I really enjoy the way you articulate yourself and write those videos I believe I'm genuinely benefiting and I'm thankful for your content and what you do! I'm also always really happy to see a person make goofy meme content drunk cooking some particular burger in their bedroom to then also be ready to deliver some really thoughtful 10 minute talk. Feeling like you're pretty damn good at life ❤

[@axi4605]

Hello, I discovered you with shorts and I really loved how thorough and clear you are in your videos. I don't usually like long form video but I just like your ideas, and the way you express them. Keep up the good work !

[@zackszigeti3713]

hey shaq, love your content. its always refreshing to hear from someone likes self-awareness & it makes ya down to earth.

[@chrisj3938]

man i love these monologue-style reflection videos. always a pleasure to listen to and leaves me with things to think about.

[@galaga00]

Dude, you’re awesome and clearly have integrity. Much, much respect!

[@kellymesisca4613]

I grew up on youtube (like through the 2010s) watching tutorials (cooking, baking, hair braiding, crafting, etc). I loved learning and seeing videos from creators who were making content because it was a passion of theirs. I noticed a shift once creators started becoming influencers. I started going on tik tok around 2021, and I found myself getting sucked into the app. But I noticed that I was just doom-scrolling, reading through the comments to see the fights, or seeing what mob-mentality was dog-piling on that month/week/day. I have since stopped going on tik tok and have found my way back to youtube (and that's how I found your channel!) and the change in pace is so refreshing. Tik tok is the epitome of sensory overload, and I totally agree with your statement that it's prescriptive. With that being said, I was surprised at how long it took me to adjust from quick tik toks back to long form youtube videos. But I feel much better for it mentally, and I've even found channels that have opened me up to new communities (your first video that I stumble across was the "What Cooking is Like for Someone Who Doesn't Cook," and it was so refreshing to watch).

[@shantabraamyan3103]

love the videos you do on this channel. As a self-taught marketing specialist I always learn so much

[@cablekibble2942]

What a great video man. Thank you for your sacrifice, legitimately.

[@meh-xb5ec]

Thank you for your videos over the years. I’ve appreciated your authenticity and thoughtfulness. Btw just got recommended this channel. Have a few videos to get through when I have some time.

[@Var_]

A+ content as always, I love listening to how you approach and understand the world.

[@youraveragepasser-by7367]

Love your stuff man. Informative script, great cadence, topics that always pique my interest. Plus you're never just chasing views

[@callmeaderplastname6648]

Insightful video as always. This channel(s) have earned the right to my attention regardless of topic or length because I feel I always either learn something, or just enjoy your takes on things.

[@UCp6Q6kiCeqBUSLE7IYCO35g]

you're smart, dawg, and a great story teller. i love basically anything you talk about

[@julianmitchell2115]

I can't tell you how much I appreciate this as someone trying to get more into the Content Creator scene. Your transparency about what works and what doesn't, as well as how it affects your channel and your wallet is refreshing and very informative

[@dmaster7000]

Great video. Thanks for being open and honest about being a creator and the effect of medium on content.

[@Kickassgrandma911]

Shaq, I love the way you make videos and present information. You're an excellent and engaging teacher and storyteller, the pattern in which you talk alone is something that can keep my attention for long stretches even as someone with ADHD. Thank you for this.

[@richardt.rogers2730]

I found this video really valuable.. got me actually thinking about mediums in a way I haven't since early days of social media when I started realizing how it was distorting my thoughts

[@JoshxDarnxIt]

I genuinely think this is one of the best channels on KZbin. Just had to let you know.

[@sadiemckinnon7845]

I could listen to your therapy sessions all day 🤔 You always leave me me intrigued and pondersome 🙏

[@hb-mek]

This is one of the best and most eye opening videos youve made so far

[@wadball]

As a person on the cusp of genz/millenial, who's been a youtube head for a long time but is still young enough to be giving tik tok a chance, your content really helps me feel sane and piece together what the f*** some ppl be doing out there

[@alicialacroix]

I like how you referred to long form videos as "Longs". I got sucked into TikTok for a while, but eventually started to feel some slight physical unease and realized how bad it was for me, so I deleted all apps that encourage mindless scrolling. Haven't looked back. I, like you, am also addicted to KZbin so I'm not giving it up, just trying to minimize usage. Every once in a while I entertain the idea of starting a KZbin channel, and I imagine using shorts to divulge useful small pieces of information, with the main goal of helping people gradually get more environmentally sustainable with their actions... But I don't reeeally want to start a KZbin channel. I don't want to be on camera. In any case, I think that's the type of thing shorts could be useful for (actually valuable info to be acted on, not just stored away as a hack), but I wish they were presented differently. I feel this video was a valuable use of my time which caused me to think critically. Thank you! Oh yeah, one more thing I wanted to say. I have not looked it up or heard it before, but I felt like I understood "the media is the message" immediately. To me it sounds like content creation for the sake of profit and not for adding value to the world. I could be wrong, but to be honest I'm not going to look it up.

[@stopmotiontacos]

Really enjoyed hearing about your process!! Great breakdown.

[@MickySarge]

Really appreciate hearing your thoughts on the content creator game. Always insightful.

[@zestysams]

I've always appreciated your integrity, Shaq. Thank you for your commitment to transparency and understanding your responsibilities as a creator.

[@MsMarmima]

Honestly I'm glad that you posted your shorts. I would never have found your content without them! I think it's possible to have a nuanced comment section in shorts, but that's an audience that needs to be built. I definitely appreciate following intelligent and creative teachers and personable influencers here on youtube

[@isbakernation]

man this was solid. very informative and also i like hear you say whatever you wanna say so it was digestible. i still don’t really know what your niche is, not to say you have to have one, but as a consumer i usually expect one to be associated w a youtuber. but that’s not a huge issue trying to label your stuff. i’ll figure it out. you rock i love you i hope these messages don’t get to you too bad

[@kadenmoss8904]

Personally, I am so glad you made these shorts as it made me find your account and content. Huge fan now!

[@enterflux]

I genuinely enjoyed all your shorts about confusing groceries. Great resource!

[@jettchc]

Really interesting watch from a non-visual media creator. I found your channel from Shorts but now you’ve become one of my favorite channels on KZbin. Appreciate you being real and down to earth while still having a sense of humor.

[@dasbuj]

Hi Shaq. Your shorts hit my algorithm and that was my introduction to you. As I saw more, I got really invested in both the content of your shorts and the form. People say it on damn near every video but I'll reiterate anyway: you absolutely nail the form of a video, it feels personal and conversational but flows seamlessly which lets me know that a ton of effort was put in. I immediately navigated over to your long form content and began binging. You're easily one of my favorite content creators now. So although I'm one of the new 100,000, I feel like I've been hanging around forever. I'm gonna watch whatever you post, long or short form, so keep goin u rock

[@Leto_0]

We respect you not being a sellout. I think that matters much more in the long run. Your advice is the best because you tell us how to think, not just what to think

[@HerroEverynyan]

It's so refreshing listening to you.

[@Hell0MyNameIsElliott]

Superb, fascinating video. Love the vibe of these extranet insights into KZbin/ creating

[@yessssir4581]

I’d love for you to post more videos like this dissecting your thoughts on shorts vs long form! I thought this was a great video

[@chrisbenetti]

Your shorts were awesome. I went out of my way to find your shorts and watch them all!

[@watermelonics]

I don't think there is any real life evidence that going left-to-write and writing vowels is what gave rise to science reasoning. I know this is not the main point of your video (which is a very informative and a great video!) and I hope this comment is not taken in the wrong way, but since you've mentioned linguistics, here we go. Pop-articles like to sensationalize and overstate the thing with language affecting how we think, but it is actually not that simple and many linguists argued about it (you can go look the Wikipedia page on "Language and thought"), but generally the idea that language fundamentally determines our thought is not accepted, but the weaker versions of the theory that language has some influence are more acceptable (but still no consensus). The more problematic part is the example of right-to-left script without vowels (common in Semitic languages like Arabic, Hebrew and Phoenician ) and left-to-right scripts and vowels (common in Western language like Latin and Greek; actually Greek borrowed the Phoenician alphabet and added vowels). And hopefully you can see how this example might give a whiff of "the West is scientific and those Semites are inherently different but we're totally not racist because it is due to language not race" (I know you most definitely did not meant anything like that). And it's not just iffy because it's "racist", it's just simply incorrect. The writing script is just one part of the language and is not the whole thing, so you can't say a language is highly contextual just because the writing script is. Also, figuring an Arabic word without short vowels is not any more difficult than figuring out how to pronounce "read" or any word with "ough" in English! And scientific advancement has been happening throughout human cultures regardless of the direction of their writing and how they dealt with vowels. Many early civilizations with grand advancements did not have LTR vowel scripts; we have no booms happening in correlation with adoption of LTR and vowel script (let alone evidence of causation); the whole Islamic Golden Age happened and they were doing RTL vowel-less script there; Chinese characters are even more contextual and that did not stop scientific advancement; and today Arabic and Hebrew speakers continue to contribute to science! It makes much more sense that social and economic factors affect the scientific output more than what direction people write! (sorry for the slightly off-topic long comment!)

[@rowboat10]

Thank you for your knowledge

[@abduthegreat7865]

Thanks for this comment, was about to write something similar until I saw you brought this up. The corpse of sapir-whorf still lives it seems. *sigh*

[@abduthegreat7865]

I had actually hoped it was a bit more substantial than it seemed so I clicked through to the podcast episode in the description which was really disappointing. The only source the podcast host cited is a book (non-scholarly) from a Jewish theologian and not from a linguist. It's got all the general pop-science rubbish, hinging most of all on the left-brain/right-brain myth which has been thoroughly debunked. Should be added that it's difficult to prove that the direction of native language affects even spatial thinking, let alone a more abstract "brainedness."

[@Alevuss92]

I'm a linguist and I fully agree. I was about to comment something similar, so thank you for putting in time and effort so I didn't have to. Verbal and social contexts can play different roles in different languages and writing systems. I disagree with Shaquille bc - like you showed - there's no language where those contexts are less important. I'd also offer that language and writing are two different systems. Linguists generally agree that people are at least born with ability to learn a language (this is separate from saying that people are born with an innate understanding of grammar - which is still being debated). Writing, on the other hand, is an invention - one that's only been invented maybe 6 or 7 times. I'm especially cautious of the idea that different writing systems, let alone language change, would have an effect on reasoning.

[@MegaKykyRyky]

Literally came into the comment section to post this, good post!

[@davea136]

This was a cogent, well-considered essay that clearly explains something I didn't understand. Thank you.

[@wk4633]

very insightful video, there are still people online that value real depth, honest conversation and interesting art. keep going

[@Dos_Osos]

Great video, and a nice development from the title. On your comments regarding short-form and it's affects on our behaviour/consumption, you might like the books Doppelganger, Cultish, and Technofeaudalism. They all approach the 'content' economy from varying perspectives (societal, linguistic, economic), and it sounds like you'd enjoy reading them

[@ianhedley8229]

hey Shaq, I've been a big fan for a while and your honesty goes so far in your approach, the fact that the thumb nail for this video isn't click bait is proof of that. Carry on Sir you remain one of the best out here

[@cherylweso]

LOLOLOLO! I HAVE WATCH YOU FOR YEARS, the funniest thing is I only saw 2-3 shorts you made in that month. I like your regular content ! Did not want a tiny bit of a recipe! The general public is a real TRIP!

[@monkeydude2424]

I love u. I’m gonna watch some shorts while scrolling twitter and listening to Spotify

[@onedirectioninfection5756]

and playing subway surfers

[@FlygonHome]

watching these while editing/sleeping makes the time fly by.

[@9myr]

Love the cooking stuff, love the more meta creator/media societal critique stuff. Keep it up man!

[@andersonic]

In those commenters' defense, KZbin makes it easy to comment on the wrong video. It will advance to another video and load up the description and comments but the web page looks like you're still at the one you just watched.

[@StacksArmstrong]

I find it really interesting that I can recall a lot of your long form videos when in the kitchen, but all of your experimental shorts I have almost completely forgotten. Thinking on your example of the person with the baby carrier, I feel like I might have learned something in the moment, but you didn't actually have me engaged at the shelf when the information mattered. I don't think was you though, but the platforms effect on how we retain that information.

[@PresidentBarackbar]

That's so true! There was actually a lot of good information in those shorts about groceries but thinking on it now I can't remember most of it.

[@radumotrescu3832]

Amazing video on how content on KZbin/Tiktok/Instagram works, its actually insane how these engagement strategies are just obscured by either creators or the platforms themselves.

[@DaveyBabyyy]

There are so many creators I love who just ride the wave of new platforms/styles of content without taking the time to publicly interrogate what is unique about X new thing. I so appreciate you engaging critically with this stuff out in the open, especially when it is tied to traditional metrics of success(subs/views going up), and it’d be so easy for you not to.

[@terberino]

Really cool, thanks for sharing your thoughts shaq :^) You're one of the most honest, high integrity youtubers out there, I really admire that and aspire to emulate that lol I feel a bit of a conflict for shorts, I personally love like having short high value bits of media because I just personally can't sit through anything long, and your confusing groceries shorts were actually very helpful and I agree that that video worked much better in shorts form lol But like you said it's almost more of an unregulated wasteland, it feels like there's almost too much value? And it makes it harder for anyone to actually purposefully select and digest relevant content, which kind of feels like it disintegrates any critical thinking from people because you get a larger pool of people who didn't actually search for that content and maybe are uninformed or don't care about it and end up just shouting random things lol Regardless, I still think short form content can be a powerful tool, but perhaps it just comes down how its regulated and the integrity of creators on how they use it... personally I just try to use the medium that I feel fits what I want to share most, but yeah I think a lot of people have learned to abuse the short form medium to just endlessly regurgitate content lol which is what gets the bagggg

[@EJofKC]

I love that Internet Shaquille can speak so quickly and clearly with no cuts. Like, this is the guy who talks like how all TikTok-ers wish they could. Clearly, specifically, no filler words, and at a pretty high pace. Most of this whole video is just staring down the barrel of the camera with no jolting cuts. I swear shorts/reels/tiktoks are a tenth of the length of the average youtube video but have 10x the amount of cuts.

[@LJBisbee]

I discovered you from your Shorts. I mainly watch "regular" KZbin, but flip through Shorts every once in a while.

[@ardenthebibliophile]

I'm a guy of about the same age as you and really appreciate the nuanced view you have of the effects on yourself as well as your audience.

[@davidk7439]

As someone who occasionally enjoys shorts, I'd note that the comments section issue is at least partially motivated by KZbin poorly partitioning/tranditioning between shorts on swiping, particularly on desktop. If your scrolling motion between shorts is weak, or you accidentally double back, you can be watching one short but be accessing and commenting on another. I know it's a bit minute, but I feel like it's worty clarifying that aspect is at *least* as much a platform issue as it is user error.

[@irogt]

It never even occurred to me that one of your shorts was why I ended up subbing but those shorts were great. That said, I'm with you on the longer-form content of normal youtube videos.Shorts just rarely get any good info out in such a small time frame. I also never bother reading the comments in a short so I do not envy you.

[@pixelfixer_]

You're amazingly perceptive. I don't know how to articulate it, but you just seem to have a ton of ideas where most would come to just a single conclusion

[@Branables]

Always love your videos!

[@kellen987]

Delightfully thoughtful. Nice aspect ratio as well.

[@AlexKojfman]

I feel this video and so glad I watched it. I was posting shorts every day bc I had a long form video that facilitated it. And it keeps me active while I work on my next long form video. But I appreciate the advice on finding a topic and making a series of videos bc I too have some long form videos that feel disjointed so this helped 😊

[@stephencshapiro]

This was fantastic. KZbin doesn’t deserve you.

[@laserclaw8609]

I love your insights on youtube and informational video, have a good day

[@nathansabo2861]

I am a long time viewer. I really appreciate the short form content as well as the long form.

[@londongrl4559]

I might now be getting you rich, but this long form nuanced content is why I’ve followed your years now.