The algorithm that keeps users scrolling is extremely personalized.
(Bloomberg) — Even influencers who’ve made careers out of their social-media stardom can be surprised by their TikTok algorithms.
TikTok star Chris Olsen has more than 13.4 million followers across his social media platforms. His viral video series in which he delivers coffee to celebrities, including Austin Butler and Vice President Kamala Harris, has racked up over 135 million views. Following the success of the series, Olsen is now launching his own coffee brand called Flight Fuel. The hidden content on Olsen’s feed? Rug-cleaning videos.
TikTok, owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance Ltd., has come under fire over national security concerns. It’s been banned on US government devices at the federal level and in more than half of states. Over a dozen major higher-education systems have blocked TikTok either from school-owned devices, the campus networks or both. The latest pushback came Tuesday from Senator Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, who released a bill that would ban the app entirely in the US.
Despite the scrutiny, TikTok remains incredibly popular. About 70% of US teens from age 13 to 17 are on TikTok, according to a Pew Research Center survey, and 1 in 6 say they use it “almost constantly.” One reason for its success is that it sends users specific content on their never-ending feed — called the For You page — that’s determined by each person’s unique algorithm which is designed to keep people on the app as long as possible.
In short: it’s deeply personal. So, Bloomberg Quicktake asked Olsen to show us his feed.
“I’ve only ever done this once,” he said. “I am excited to show you this content, but it also could go horribly wrong.”
(Updates with Olsen’s new company Flight Fuel in second paragraph.)
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