What is it about TikTok that causes users to spend hours and hours endlessly scrolling through their For You page? What is it that caused TikTok to add in a feature that displays a video reminding the user to stay healthy and “take a break”? Addiction is certainly a driving force behind the success of TikTok. So what is it that makes it so addictive? 

 

One major addictive component of TikTok is it’s algorithm, which infinitely generates content based on what the user has interacted with in the past. A new user is given popular videos to start off, but these slowly change depending on what the user likes, shares, or comments on. The “For You” page is really that - a page that is designed specifically for that particular user. Everyone’s is different.  

 

A good way to compare this to traditional media is to think of Instagram’s Explore page, a tab which allows the user to see people and content which they might be interested in. On TikTok, the Explore page is the main focus, constantly giving the user fresh content to consume. 

 

This constant supply of videos allows the user to always see something new, and while not every video is particularly amazing, every once in a while the algorithm aligns to present a true gem of a video. It’s sort of like gambling; because the user has little control over what content they end up seeing, they want to keep scrolling just to see what they get. It’s hard to stop when you know that something really funny or cool could be one swipe away. 

 

The algorithm allows the user to not have to think about what they want to see; it determines that for you, and most of the time it’s right. 

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Learn more: 

• https://www.howtogeek.com/536434/what-exactly-is-tiktok-and-why-are-teens-obsessed-with-it/

• https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/29/its-time-to-pay-serious-attention-to-tiktok/