zippy2

I've noticed that TikTok will show you unfamiliar content about every 10 or so videos. I suspect this is to explore it's knowledge graph of categories you might be interested in, and also keeping things fresh. I've found this mechanism fantastic, as it's shown me videos of places around my hometown that I've gone out to visit that I would have no idea even existed in the first place. This on top of a more traditional learning algorithm makes it very addictive.

If you compare this to YouTube, you can tell they've resorted their algorithm back to a more curated list of recommended videos. This blocks new content creators out and keeps the recommended list stale. You can also tell they've weighted videos with the highest ad revenue, so you're more likely to get frustrating long ads with vapid click bait style content. It's no wonder why YouTube lost the top spot of video sites, as they've put advertising ahead of content creators and viewers.

I've bought several products from TikTok ads. I usually never buy things based on online ads. Because their ads are skippable, and have to demonstrate their use instantly, they're very effective. Again, compared to YouTube, their ads tend to focus on long droning corporate agendas and visions. These don't make me want to use the platform.