Make the Algorithm, Don’t Let it Make You
TikTok has been trying my patience recently. Since television is in the summer doldrums and I blocked myself from YouTube, TikTok has become my main means of daily entertainment. And while I have enjoyed all of the quirky content on my For You Page and the similarities between how I view myself and the type of content that I was shown, over time it has become too much.
Now, when I open the TikTok app it feels like the algorithm has created a caricature of my interests and identity by only showing me content that reflects the most overblown representations of my online persona.
My For You Page is a constant barrage of caffeinated drinks, drag queens, and social injustice. And although I love sipping a cold brew over a performance piece about intersectionality, that’s not the entirety of who I am as a person. These videos do not encapsulate all that I want to see.
Therefore, I have been putting into practice my research and knowledge on social media platforms and recommendation systems in order to curate a better For You Page For Myself. So, for those who are tired of seeing the same old content online, I have included some methods below that you can use to push your algorithm towards not only reflecting who you are but what you want to see.
