I Think Tik Tok Is a Problem

[Beetwasher.]

I waded into TikTok. Oh boy. Every other video is about Venezuelan gangs coming over the border and taking over neighborhoods in Colorado and Chicago. It’s incessant. It stinks to high heaven as a psyop stoking anti- immigrant garbage and seemingly being pushed by mostly minority posters. I smell a huge, social-engineering initiative and it’s quite frankly alarming.

[dchill]

1. Freedom of Russian speech.

[GoCubsGo]

44. But, mostly Freedom of Chinese Government speech.

Since they pretty much own the thing. The Russians ain't the only ones meddling in our country's elections and affairs. Far from it.

[Meadowoak]

2. Humans, as a people, were/are too stupid to own computers/cell phones

And vote. We weren't ready for the technology he have, good and bad.

[Tribetime]

3. I haven't seen one of those.Yet what I've seen is a lot of

Harris and Walz

[JoseBalow]

4. It's your algorithm that's fucked

Your viewing and engagement patterns are causing that content to be pushed on your For You Page. If you watch something all the way through, or comment/like it, you will see more of the same more frequently. The TikTok algorithm determines what you like, and gives you more of it. If you quickly scroll past content you don't want to see, you'll see less of it. You can also long-press on a video and mark it as "Not Interested" to help the process along.

The good news is that you can also just go to your account settings and "Refresh Your Feed" under "Content Preferences," if you want. You can also filter video keywords there.

I'm quite happy with my carefully curated stream of good doggies

[canetoad]

8. And reading this

I feel an immense sadness for you.

[JoseBalow]

11. Why?

[canetoad]

12. I suspect that you and I

Are from different generations, but in many ways I'm not typical of my generation. Apart from the arthritis.

In human history, there has been a handful of true revolutions. Stone tools. Agriculture. Industrial revolution. ....Digital revolution. I was born in 1954 which meant that I was in my 40s with the advent of social media and user created content.

I'm very interested in ways that critical thinking is broken down. In simple terms - using hypnosis. Altering your perceptions to make ...... make you what?

[JoseBalow]

14. That makes you sad for me?

I don't know why that would be, but don't be sad for me, I'm OK.

[muriel_volestrangler]

17. I see plenty of critical thinking in that DUer's posts

They've explained very carefully how TikTok serves up different content depending on people's viewing habits. They've also explained how to reset it. And that, rather than, say, getting multiple right wing lying videos as the thread starter seems to get (and seems to be saddened by), they get fun dog videos instead.

To complete your sentence: "to make .... make you happy".

This does not imply that the person is politically disengaged; just that they don't want to use TikTok for their political engagement. Which seems pretty wise, to me. TikTok is not the be all and end all of digital media.

[Phentex]

23. Thank you

Very well said and makes perfect sense

[yardwork]

19. I don't understand your post. Why are you demeaning this poster?

FWIW, my infrequent forays into Facebook are similar to this poster's approach. My FB feed doesn't show me Trumpster content because I don't watch Trumpster content. I look at posts about country lanes, fixing up old houses, and nature cams. Also cake decorating - which I've never done, so it's fascinating. And street food preparation.

[Beetwasher.]

21. I Never Used it Before

So whatever algorithm they’re using, I was at baseline, and I was inundated with this garbage.

[JoseBalow]

46. When you start, you get a lot of different random content

The algorithm uses a scattershot approach of feeding you various popular and trending content to see how you engage with it, especially at first. It then focuses on your engagement and adjusts itself accordingly. It measures how much time you spend watching each video in fractions of a second; it doesn't take much to affect your algorithm. If you watch a video to the end, that weighs higher than if you quickly scroll away to the next video. If you open the comments, that's more engagement. If you leave a comment, even a negative one, that is even more engagement. Same with likes, same with sharing, same with subscribing to a user's feed. And all that even more so with LIVE feeds. All of those things are factored in to what you see on your FYP.

Additionally, it considers the content creators that you follow, so if you follow people who engage with some other kinds of content, you will be tested randomly to see if you engage with that type of content too. Notice I say "engage" with, not "like" it. If you are watching things out of curiosity or outrage, and if you are commenting on it to express how much you disagree with it, you are showing higher levels of engagement than if you just scroll away, or mark it as "not interested." You will then see more of that.

Also, if you share your contacts, TikTok then pushes you to follow accounts that "you may know" and also incorporates your contacts' content and preferences into the algorithm. If my wingnut relatives or co-workers are phone contacts, and they are on TokTik, then they are part of my algorithm formula too; it assumes we may share common interests, and tests for that.

TikTok's algorithm is very powerful and very targeted, it's the reason they are so popular. Everyone starts out as a blank slate, and then are quickly profiled and targeted with content. I once heard someone say that it took Spotify 5 minutes to figure out they were gay LOL! TikTok's algorithm is much, much stronger. That's why I get mostly dog videos, and most of them are pitbulls and bulldogs. Occasionally I see elephants and penguins. I couldn't be happier!

If you were to start an account from scratch, considering the things I have explained, I believe you'd have a much a different and more satisfying experience. Just be aware and act deliberately, given what you now know about how it works.

[Elessar Zappa]

5. I don't see any right wing content.

I know it’s there but my algorithm only shows me stuff I like, like animal videos and liberal politics.

[live love laugh]

6. TikTok is an excellent platform if you focus on the right content.

I get hoards of information from intelligent creators regularly.

I will find a few and post them back here so that if you begin viewing them your feed may change and send you more content of the same ilk.

[LeftInTX]

7. I don't like Tik Tok. I turned off notifications and it won't work on my phone anymore.

Every other video is full of load music. I find the medium annoying.

[live love laugh]

9. On TikTok you get more of what you view

I get hoards of information from intelligent and humorous creators regularly.

I posted a few links if you begin viewing them your feed may change and the algorithm will send you more content of the same ilk.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8JDBBhT/

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8JDSvqA/

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8JDSRU9/

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8JDDR5K/

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8JDQUyV/

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8JDrsHM/

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8JDBKEE/

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8JDubuU/

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8JDqjJ7/

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8JD4Ryc/

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8JDfJB2/

[Swede]

27. I just signed up right now and clicked on all your links.

Thanks.

[RidinWithHarris]

10. If you are totally new to TikTok, I wonder if the right wing crap is currently the default until you...

...establish a pattern of your own preferences.

As other people have said, the content is not all like that. Other people don't see much or any of what you're talking about. I haven't bothered to get my own account yet, so I have no idea what I'd get hit with from the start.

Considering that I'm a 60+ white male, I wouldn't be shocked in I get pegged at a wingnut by default, depending on how much demographic info they can glean up front.

[Beetwasher.]

22. Yes, I never used it before, so this was baseline

[FHRRK]

13. Fairly new user, so I get RW posts

Went to reply to two of them today (Taxing Unrealized Cap Gains) and in both cases, the responses were filled with mocking. Nice post Boris, nice post Vlade, is it hard to translate your work from Russian to English?

[Phentex]

25. responding will lead to more of them

as will sharing, liking or watching all the way through

[hlthe2b]

15. It is bullshit... Former R Congressman Mike Coffman (now mayor of Aurora) tried to echo that bullshit and RESIDENTS

of the housing development supposedly taken over by Venezuelan gangs set him straight (along with police chief) in no uncertain terms.

Mike Coffman was a lying POS in Congress and apparently hasn't changed since he got his ass handed to him years back.

Does Denver and neighboring areas have gang issues? Yes, but that has been the case for decades. It is not a "Venezuelan" thing all of a sudden.

[Bettie]

16. Weird...my feed is

anti-trump people, cats/dogs, mockery of trump supporters, some very funny people...oh and reactions to weird "cooking" videos.

[A HERETIC I AM]

18. Just as many people are ridiculing those idiots

For falling for such nonsense.

[Kid Berwyn]

20. Who could pull off such an insidious thing?

No clue.

[GoCubsGo]

45. Yup. I'm amazed at how few people are unaware of this.

And, it's mostly the guy on the right. All the data that ap collects goes straight to his people. The first thing I did when I got my phone was remove that shit.

[Phentex]

24. It's a problem if you make it one

as others have said, you can control the types of videos you see. My main beef is the advertisements but I either scroll or select not interested so I get fewer of those. I sorta like that my algorithm changes. I got really into summer plants and gardening and I found some really helpful information. Then I took a trip overseas and watched all sorts of travel videos and places to see kind of things. I am always watching my favorite young band videos plus Cats for Harris and other Harris/Walz content. Once I watched a dash cam video and got stuck on those until I just started scrolling past.

You absolutely do not have to see the kind of content you are talking about.

And there's a joke: guy gets on Tik Tok and complains that all they show are young girls in bikinis...

[Beetwasher.]

26. I Never Used it Before, this was my first time

And I was inundated with anti-immigrant garbage immediately.

[Phentex]

32. yes we get it

but you seem to think this has something to do with Tik Tok.

If you came to DU for the first time, you might see a bunch of posts about cats in the lounge. You may not realize you can trash the word cats if you want. You may not realize that you don't have to click on a cat post.

Would you think this site was all about cats? Would you think there's some conspiracy to get you to read posts about cats? Would you go to Reddit and tell everyone that DU has a problem with cats?

[Beetwasher.]

34. If You think there is not a concerted effort

To stir up anti-immigrant hate via propaganda you haven’t been paying attention. Seriously, what planet have you been living on? DOJ just busted up such an operation pushing Russian backed propoganda.

[Phentex]

37. whataboutism?

watch me change the subject now

[Beetwasher.]

38. LOL uh no

It’s my subject, and the subject is propoganda I saw flooding on Tik Tok. Not cats on DU.

[getagrip_already]

36. Wait, its not all about cats?

Thats what i like about this place.

Leave the cats out of this.

[Phentex]

39. thank god the propaganda worked

I think Earl G owns stock in cat toys

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

jokes aside, I never understood why we don't have cat and dog emojis

[GP6971]

29. Good morning Sunshine!!

Enjoy your stay!!

[Beetwasher.]

30. LOL

You ever been to Hunts Point? How about Newarks central Ward? You need to STFU if you don’t know who you’re talking to.

[obnoxiousdrunk]

31. Welcome to DU !

[DemocratInPa]

33. Said this before and will again..

My two kids use TikTok and Snap.. Take TikTok away and say good bye to alot of Gen Z votes..

We need all the votes we can get, especially in Pa (Penn State), Arizona (University of Arizona and Arizona State), Georgia (Ga Tech, and University of Georgia), and Wisconsin (University of Wisconsin)

Social Media has good and bad, but taking away a platform to me is wrong.

[Beetwasher.]

35. Where did I say it should be taken away?

[MaryMagdaline]

40. The algorithm is finding you. You may want to block those videos and

search “fraudulent claims of Venezuelan gangs Aurora CO” and then like and share all those posts that are exposing the fraud behind this.
I only learned about these “gangs” because I’m on the other side of TikTok.

[Beetwasher.]

41. That's OK, I don't think Tik Tok is for me

I just wanted to check it out since I never had before. Not a fan of the format.

[BannonsLiver]

42. It's definitely become a haven for Trumpers

[MotownPgh]

43. My 72 year lle neighbor told me the US

will be like Venezuela and 6 families will be living in my house. He is not on tiktok