You're right that the societal cost is very different. I hadn't thought about people doing the stupid things on video, I think personally I focus on the effects of the consumption moreso.

Personally I think the problem with TikTok is largely based in hyperoptimized content specialized to your interest shaping your worldview and isolating your perspective of the world from others, as well as probably being pretty bad for the ability to maintain attention and engage with long form narratives and ideas. I don't really think TikTok is unique here, other than that it's the best in the game at doing it and keeping people's attention.

But overall I suppose I just see something like this as potentially worse in those regards, but maybe I'm overly pessimistic.