KJs World

From Over-Connected to Polarized


I have fallen down the TikTok rabbit hole many, many times and have been compulsively on and off the app for about a year. My main reason for wanting to get off the app is the terrifying accuracy of the algorithm and how it seems to polarize me from anyone outside of my online niches. The irony is that the algorithm is the exact thing that keeps pulling me back to the app, I can never seem to fully escape the addictive nature of it.

A video by WSJ explains TikTok’s algorithm by creating a map of content consumed by users from the moment they get on the app to the point in which the algorithm figures out their interests and intentions. Users start in the middle of the map, a condensed area filled with the app's most popular and all-embracing videos, and slowly pushes them out into branches of niche, specific videos. In a study conducted Aparajita Bhandari and Sara Bimo, participants report feeling uneasy in “moments when the algorithm was almost ‘too accurate.’” In short, for better or worse, TikTok's algorithm has gotten scarily good at its job. The scariest part is that the app is not feeding us what we like or want to see, but content it knows will keep us scrolling for the longest amounts of time possible. The more time we spend on the app, the more data it’s able to collect on us, and the further we are pushed into the depths of our niches.

My experience in TikTok niches has been a very double edged sword. The niches I am apart of, to name a few, are queer spaces, mental health related content (whether it be the perspective of professionals or those struggling with mental health), and astrology/spiritual niches. There have been many upsides to experiencing these catered sides of TikTok, and they are the reasons I find it hard to completely escape the app. For one, I have met some of my best queer friends off of TikTok, which has been a great way to connect with my community whilst living in a very heterosexual area. Furthermore, I have had many validating experiences on TikTok that make me feel less alone in the world. As someone who struggles with my mental health, seeking support and shared experiences with others has allowed me to see that I’m not the only one going through these hardships. I have also gained many great ways to cope and improve my mental health through content created by mental health professionals. One experience I’ll never forget was connecting to other women after the overturning of Roe v Wade. It helped me to feel empowered and supported through a really difficult and scary time for all of us. I even found out about local protests through TikTok. These are all such meaningful experiences to me, and I have the perfected algorithm to thank. On the other hand, such specific niches became very toxic for me. Outside of the insane screen time, addiction, and dopamine deficiencies TikTok gave me, I found myself becoming dangerously polarized from those on the opposite sides of my spectrums. For example, I think I can largely blame TikTok for the raging misandrist I became in 2020. It fed me so much content that was negatively targeted at men, and it largely impacted the way I viewed and treated them. Other populations I became very polarized from while heavily using TikTok were Republicans/Conservatives, wealthy people, white people, and Christians. I was so consumed by these bubbles of hate being aggressively fed to me by the algorithm, that when I deleted the app and my bubble popped, I realized how much I had lost my humanity.

After reflecting on these pros and cons, I have come to the conclusion that TikTok is not a platform I want to be involved with. I believe the cons of the app outweigh the pros, though I would not take back what I have positively gained through my experiences. I fear the polarization that is to come, and wonder if there will ever be a way to metricize the oppositions felt between groups of people as a result of these algorithms. Is there a way to collect data on the gradual loss of our humanity through apps like TikTok? How will the undeniable increased intensity of this app affect our sense of community, or even family systems? Because social media clearly isn’t going anywhere, my hope for the future is that we can create humane and heart-centered ways to connect through social media apps, for the sake of ourselves and future generations.




References


Bhandari , Aparajita, and Sara Bimo. “Why’s Everyone on TikTok Now? The Algorithmized Self and the Future of Self-Making on Social Media.” Sage Journals, 22 Mar. 2022,  journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20563051221086241


“Inside TikTok's Highly Secretive Algorithm .” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 21 July 2021, www.wsj.com/video/series/inside-tiktoks-highly-secretive-algorithm/investigation-how-tiktok-algorithm-figures-out-your-deepest-desires/6C0C2040-FF25-4827-8528-2BD6612E3796?mod=e2tw.