Disney likes what TikTok’s got. Specifically, its addictive short-form content style.
Disney just made a deal with the social media platform that will have TikTok creators make shorts that promote Disney content. The shorts will be available on Disney+ and TikTok as “Verts,” vertical videos, Variety reported.
“This collaboration creates a new bridge between the stories we tell and the creativity they inspire, giving creators a bigger stage to share what they’ve made, and audiences more to discover on Disney+ every day,” said Asad Ayaz, Disney’s chief marketing and brand officer.
Disney already launched Verts on ESPN’s direct-to-consumer service. ESPN’s Verts let users have more control over a feed through which they can scroll or swipe, and the videos are tailored to the individual interests of users.
In May, Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro said the company wants to focus on short-form content because it wants to engage with Gen Alpha fans in a new way.
Both TikTok and Disney will also create a “Disney Creator Ambassador Program” that will give some users incentives and access to events and career development. For example, some TikTok creators will have access to assets related to hundreds of films and series from Disney’s vast library.
Related: Scrolling Short-Form Content Does This to Your Brain
“Together with Disney, we’re bringing the authentic creator expression of the TikTok community to Disney+, inviting audiences to experience the shared creativity that makes fandom so powerful,” said Dawn Yang, global head of entertainment for TikTok.
The companies will launch a pilot program in the US in the coming months and will expand to the international market later, Tech Crunch reported. Netflix, HBO, Max, Prime Video and other outlets like ABC News have their own Verts. In that regard, Disney may be a little late to the short-form content game.
Variety announced Disney’s navigation into “microcontent” in January. It planned to provide microcontent in news and entertainment.
Psychologist Monica Vermani said short-form content is dangerous to the brain’s attention span. It offers endless dopamine and negatively impacts mental health. A recent study found that it leads to “emotional desensitization, cognitive overload, and a negative self-concept” and is linked to anxiety, depression and distress.
Too much time watching short-form content can also reduce academic performance and create impulsivity. Studies from Gloria Mark, Ph.D., professor of informatics at the University of California, Irvine, say there is a strong decline in our ability to focus. It was two and a half minutes in 2004, to 75 seconds in 2012 and then to 47 seconds in the past six years.
“While the phenomenon of and research into the impacts of SFV consumption are relatively new, the writing is on the wall,” said Vermani. “It is critical that we press pause, reflect on the time we spend in the thrall of SFV engagement, and take steps to manage our time and attention to create healthy boundaries around our SFV engagement.”
So this expansion of SFV from social media to entertainment networks is not exactly a great step for mankind.
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