smack - Day 5 - Inktober 2026
When TikTok Becomes Your Entire Worldview
For Inktober 2026, Day 5, the prompt is “Smack.”
There’s nothing wrong with watching TikTok. Once in while.
There’s nothing wrong with having an opinion.
And there’s certainly nothing wrong with protesting when you feel strongly about something.
But maybe, just maybe, a 30-second video made by a guy sitting in his bedroom shouldn’t be the entire foundation of your worldview.
I support free speech. I support people thinking for themselves. I even support the occasional protest sign.
What I struggle with is the person who watches one TikTok, nods twice, and suddenly considers themselves an expert on a subject that took other people 20 years to understand.
“Where did you learn that?”
“TikTok.”
“Did you read anything else?”
“No. But I saw the whole video.”
And that's when you start to understand why someone might need a little “WAKE UP.”
The problem isn't TikTok.
The problem is confusing seeing something with knowing something.
A 30-second video can be entertaining. It can introduce you to an idea. It can even be correct.
But if your entire position on a complicated subject can fit into a TikTok caption, you might want to do a little more homework before printing the protest sign.
Think. Check. Read. Then pick up the sign.
Because sometimes the algorithm isn't educating you.
It's just giving you the view of a stranger with a ring light and lots of time on their hands.
