On the left side of the image, you will notice a prevalent format that has gained popularity on TikTok. It features a composition where a brief snippet from a video game, a delightful ice cream video, and a scene from the animated television series Family Guy coexist on the same screen, all playing simultaneously.
Conversely, on the right side of the meme, you’ll find a news anchor delivering weather information, a continuous news ticker displaying various updates, and real-time stock market data, all competing for space on the same screen.
The TikTok format on the left is believed to cater to individuals with relatively shorter attention spans, particularly younger viewers, who supposedly require the simultaneous presence of three entirely unrelated elements on screen to maintain their engagement with the video content. On the other hand, the right-side depiction represents a quintessential depiction of the news presentation format that is commonly seen in the United States.
The phrase “They are the same” is a humorous commentary on the meme, suggesting that both of these seemingly disparate formats ultimately serve a similar purpose, albeit in very different contexts.