Plus how and why TikTok went darkish, how to maybe get a fix anyway, what might happen next, and who's vying to buy the opportunity to increase anxiety and depression in 170M Americans.
Personally, I loved TikTok. It was entertaining and upbeat. I learned a lot. It made me curious about things I didn’t even know to be curious about. There were people on there who were ridiculously smart and funny.
If you engaged only with creative, positive content, that’s what the algorithm fed you. It was awesome, and Meta can’t replicate it. Fb and Instagram Reels had the prototype right there - and some of the same content creators, too - and couldn’t pull it off. My opinion? TikTok was banned because Zuck and Musk couldn’t compete, and the dinosaurs in Congress believed TikTok to be a silly app for kids made by scary people who are successfully taking market share away from US companies.
I’ve deleted Meta apps from my phone; I miss engaging with friends and knowing what they’re up to, but there were so many ads, so much misinformation, so much negativity. I just don’t need that in my life. And there are other ways to stay in touch. Many of them are better. :)
Kristin, thanks so much for this. I studiously avoided TikTok, not out of particular concerns about China, but I had to draw a line somewhere and was busy elsewhere. V much appreciate the feedback...yours is an opinion I trust! And delighted you're here and on Bsky! mag
Personally, I loved TikTok. It was entertaining and upbeat. I learned a lot. It made me curious about things I didn’t even know to be curious about. There were people on there who were ridiculously smart and funny.
If you engaged only with creative, positive content, that’s what the algorithm fed you. It was awesome, and Meta can’t replicate it. Fb and Instagram Reels had the prototype right there - and some of the same content creators, too - and couldn’t pull it off. My opinion? TikTok was banned because Zuck and Musk couldn’t compete, and the dinosaurs in Congress believed TikTok to be a silly app for kids made by scary people who are successfully taking market share away from US companies.
I’ve deleted Meta apps from my phone; I miss engaging with friends and knowing what they’re up to, but there were so many ads, so much misinformation, so much negativity. I just don’t need that in my life. And there are other ways to stay in touch. Many of them are better. :)
Kristin, thanks so much for this. I studiously avoided TikTok, not out of particular concerns about China, but I had to draw a line somewhere and was busy elsewhere. V much appreciate the feedback...yours is an opinion I trust! And delighted you're here and on Bsky! mag