26 June 2024
Lately, TikTok and Instagram have been invaded by a viral trend known as "Time Travelers": videos in which famous memes are altered with the help of artificial intelligence. But who are these enigmatic characters and what exactly do they do in the videos that are conquering social media?
Origin and development of the trend
On social media, "time travelers" are literally depopulating: a group of men in suits and ties who have the goal of upsetting the timeline. The new trend involves modifying memes that have gone viral on social media in the past through the use of artificial intelligence. The audio used is always the same: "Marking Time, Waiting for Death". It is a song by Shiro Sagisu and is part of the soundtrack of the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion. In the first part of the video, the original meme is shown, while in the second part, the exact opposite of what appears in the original content occurs. This creates a sort of "destruction of the meme", with an often surprising and at times disturbing effect. The basic idea is to suggest that unspecified time travelers have gone back to prevent the original videos from being shared, thus preventing the jokes from spreading and hindering the videos' future virality.
An emblematic example in Italy is a clip of Gerry Scotti in which, in the original video, he is asked to sing "What is Love" in a joking manner. In the altered video, however, Gerry does not sing at all, but an echo of voices can be heard saying phrases like "Gerry, who are these people?", referring to the time travelers who allegedly altered the meme. In his case as in other cases, the men from the future generated are elegant people, dressed in the style of Agent Smith from Matrix, while on TikTok we have also seen monsters and scary characters reminiscent of Slender Man or the inhabitants of another social horror trend such as Backrooms.
The role of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence plays a crucial role in this trend. The videos are edited using advanced AI tools to change the original narrative of the meme. This not only makes the videos more interesting, but also adds an element of mystery and surprise, as viewers never know exactly what to expect. In fact, many of these contents have a rather low visual quality. The sinister figures that appear show graphic defects and erratic movements, revealing the current limitations of artificial intelligence in generating realistic videos. However, this imperfection paradoxically contributes to their charm, adding an element of strangeness and uncertainty that amplifies the scary effect.
Who are the time travelers?
The time travelers are represented as a group of men in suits, who seem to come from another era or dimension with the aim of disrupting our timeline. Despite the apparent seriousness of their mission, the tone of the videos is always light and humorous. These characters have become symbols of a larger trend that plays with the idea of time travel and the alteration of reality. There is, of course, no real danger or serious intention behind these figures; they are simply a creative ploy to generate viral content. Their success on social media reflects a broader trend towards the use of advanced technologies for the creation of digital content. This trend not only entertains millions of people, but also stimulates creativity and innovation among content creators.
Time travelers are a fascinating cultural phenomenon that combines nostalgia, technology, and humor. With their unique approach and clever use of artificial intelligence, they have captured the public's imagination, demonstrating once again the power of memes and social media in shaping contemporary trends.
