At some point in the far-flung future, we'll have the distance to understand and examine social media dispassionately.

When that time comes, what will we say of it? Did it destabilise the post-World War II order of the world with its inflammation and amplification of false information? Has it allowed social cultures to meld more seamlessly together, and improve harmony across mankind?

Or did it give us this, respected newsman Jon Snow doing the viral sea shanty thing from TikTok? And was it worth it?

The sea shanty, it is our sad duty to report, are a big thing on TikTok now. This also means that they're a big thing on Instagram Reels, and they're a big thing on forwards sent by your Dad in about three months from now.

Evidently, the reason Jon Snow of Channel 4 News got involved likely had something to do with him being an anchor, and the whole nautical connotations of that, and with sea shanties.

Sea shanties, of course, are just the hypermasculine upgrade to barbershop quartets, and considering how we're all clearly dying of social drought and desperate to do anything together, sea shanties is the way to go.

Enjoy.