Tiktok's algorithm: what users should know

Why everyone is on Tiktok

TikTok has become an emerging social media platform and an international phenomenon compared to Facebook, becoming the most used platform. Bhandari and Bimo's (2022) research showed that TikTok was unique among social media platforms that initially appeared to provide comparable features and services. But it didn't accomplish this by introducing drastically novel features or affordances. Instead, TikTok gave rise to a way of creating an identity and presenting oneself that is very different from the concept of "the networked self" on other social media platforms.

Through the algorithm, TikTok users interact with versions of themselves. This puts them in an unstable position to interact with both an internal and an external entity simultaneously. There are many ways for users to interact with other egos on other social media sites, such as by directly disclosing themselves, interacting with media, etc. On TikTok, however, users primarily interact with the personalized algorithm, which constantly shows them different aspects of their identities. This model of sociality could be called the "algorithmized self," a more complex version of the "networked self" already discussed in the paper of Bhandari and Bimo (2022). The participants in the first group think that the self comes from automatically engaging with past versions of oneself rather than with social connections. The second group, on the other hand, says that the self is made through the "reflexive process of fluid associations with social circles" (Papacharissi, 2011, as cited in Bhandari & Bimo, 2022).

Play the video: "What is TikTok? AND How does it work?: TikTok Explained for beginners" if you do not install TikTok like me. Source: Learn Online Video

How about the disadvantage of this "algorithmized self"?

Two reports released by Amnesty International (2023) show that TikTok's content recommender system and the way it collects data without permission are harmful to young people who use the app because they make depressing and suicidal content more visible, which can make mental health problems worse.

Both reports, "Driven into the Darkness: How TikTok Encourages Self-harm and Suicidal Ideation" and "I Feel Exposed: Caught in TikTok's Surveillance Web," talk about the bad things that happen to kids and teens who use TikTok and how the app's recommender system and business model contribute to these bad things. We did a technical investigation with our partners, the Algorithmic Transparency Institute (ATI), at the National Conference on Citizenship and AI Forensics. The results show that kids and teens who watch mental health-related videos on TikTok's "For You" page are quickly pulled into "rabbit holes" of potentially harmful content, such as videos that glorify depression and encourage self-harm and suicide.

“The findings expose TikTok’s manipulative and addictive design practices, which are designed to keep users engaged for as long as possible. They also show that the platform’s algorithmic content recommender system, credited with enabling the rapid global rise of the platform, exposes children and young adults with pre-existing mental health challenges to serious risks of harm,” said Lisa Dittmer, Amnesty International Researcher (as cited in Amnesty International, 2023).

Video: "Is TikTok Safe? Algorithm Investigation Reveals the Truth." Source: Amnesty International

The rise of short-form content and related concerns

According to Medium (2023), short-form content platforms like Reels and TikTok have become increasingly popular in recent years, providing users with bite-sized videos that are easy to consume and share. However, there is growing concern about the cognitive effects of consuming short-form content, particularly regarding memory and attention span. Based on the theoretical framework for navigating the psychological effects, there are some effects we should consider:

1. Fragmented Attention: Watching many short videos in a short time makes it easier to lose focus. Our brains have trouble focusing on a single idea, which makes it harder to remember things.

2. Superficial Processing: Because these videos are short, they encourage processing at the surface level. People often simplify complicated ideas to their simplest forms, which makes them harder to understand and remember.

3. Memory Interference: There are so many videos that the content of one video can make it hard to remember what you saw in another. This makes a mosaic of memories that aren't all together.

These results are from prolonged exposure to information overload rather than quickly occurring effects. The accumulation of these broken memories over time can result in reduced critical thinking abilities, a decline in accurate recollection of information, and a general decrease in cognitive efficiency. I am curious about these effects and am considering the experimental study to test the psychological effects of TikTok on human consumption.

References:

Amnesty International (2023, November 9). Global: TikTok’s ‘For You’ Feed Risks Pushing Children and Young People Towards Harmful Mental Health Content. Amnesty International. Retrieved March 26, 2024, from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/11/tiktok-risks-pushing-children-towards-harmful-content/

Bhandari, A., & Bimo, S. (2022). Why’s Everyone on TikTok Now? The Algorithmized Self and the Future of Self-Making on Social Media. Social Media + Society, 8(1), 20563051221086240. https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051221086241

Medium (2023, December 5). The Impact of Short-Form Content on Memory: Unveiling the Effects of Reels and TikTok | Medium. Medium. Retrieved March 26, 2024, from https://asycd.medium.com/the-impact-of-short-form-content-on-memory-unveiling-the-effects-of-reels-and-tiktok-f359202b1945