[unexpected]

Tik Tok is INSANELY good at figuring out what you want to watch. At first it shows you a random selection of videos, but it pays very good attention to what you're lingering at, and starts showing you more and more of those types of videos.

My wife and I downloaded Tik Tok at the same time, were shown the same videos in the beginning. Now, I basically see only Call of Duty: Warzone clips along with a few prank videos. My wife (far more political than I) sees a lot of videos of the protests, BLM activists, and other stuff.

Tik Tok does not try to force you to watch videos that you're not going to watch. It's crazy good (and scary).

[chvid]

Sadly there is a completely lack of appreciation of TikTok here on HN.

TikTok is really the next generation of social media. The way the algorithm adapts to the user is unlike anything out there plus the integrated videographic tools are incredible. Plus it is cheerful and playful, and not full of conflict or self promotion.

However the only thing we can focus on is that it is Chinese.

[xnx]

Agreed. It's hard for me not to suspect that there's some strong motivation by interested parties to make TikTok a boogeyman. I'm much more concerned about unintentional harm caused by incompetence (Facebook) or deliberate messaging for a purpose (Fox News, or pick whoever your personal least favorite media source is).

[ehnto]

Of course that optimizes toward a particular bubble, so you end up not seeing content you may have also enjoyed, because the app has pigeon holed you into a particular type of content.

After a certain amount of time I find most algorithm driven feeds stop being able to deliver an interesting experience, and I stop using them.

I wonder how your feed will evolve once Warzone isn't the top dog anymore, maybe it considers cohorts and enough people in your cohort will actively search for the next popular game that it will spill into your feed?

[unexpected]

it will be interesting, for sure. In your example though, I personally feel like this is a case of "ignorance is bliss" - I have many ways of finding interesting content - I treat Tik Tok as a guilty pleasure, much like my relationship with ice cream. In a world overwhelmed with choice, and just sort of mental exhaustion from politics, world events, current affairs, and overall negativity, I'm very happy to just sit and consume ice cream for 15-20 minutes a day!

[kalado]

It is, I'm pretty sure the "lingering" part is exactly true, in that you don't have to like a video or even finish watching it for it to influence your feed to show more of similiar stuff. Just keep looking at it a bit longer than other videos.

[moneywoes]

Any idea for their algorithm is built?

[unexpected]

I think it's actually quite simple - unlike instagram, it's showing you videos. Videos can range from 1 to 60 seconds. Videos you like, you'll watch longer (and maybe some bonus for watching to the end). Videos you don't like, you end up skipping really quickly (and since skipping becomes second nature, perhaps you can measure the length and speed of the swipe).

Therefore, just sprinkle across various videos at first (perhaps most popular videos on the site). Show more of the videos that are watched longer, show less of videos that are watched for a shorter duration. Sprinkle in other analytics you collect (iphone user? says something about wealth and status - what videos do they like? android user? skews younger, poorer, what videos do they like? location data: show protest videos of big cities around you), and you end up with the "beautiful" soup that is Tik Tok.