Source: Shealyn Scott
When was the last time you checked your screen time? Not the general notification that your phone sends out each week, but the detailed report in your settings. How much time would you guess you spend on TikTok? Three hours a week? Seven?
I once knew a girl who, on average, spent six hours on TikTok… every day.
She justified it by saying the algorithm had perfectly figured her out. Her FYP was, in her words, “a capital-F For and capital-Y You.” Ironically, therein lies the issue.
TikTok’s algorithm is so successful that it ends up forming echo chambers where most people only see perspectives that already align with their own views.
Miss 42-Hours-a-Week didn’t see a problem. She was comfortably nestled in her niche, consuming video after video surrounding her varied interests. One swipe would take her from a fan edit of her favorite character from “Stranger Things” to a series following the making of homemade pickles.
At a glance, I can see how nice it may feel to only be fed content you already know you enjoy. But what happens when the algorithm slips up and, in turn, a new voice enters the echo chamber?
Another friend of mine recently ranted to me about how she ended up on “the wrong side of TikTok” after a video from a popular vegetarian chef wound up on her For You Page. As a proud meat eater, she was borderline offended that TikTok had recommended her a recipe for plant-based chicken nuggets.
It got me wondering: when did we start viewing different opinions/hobbies/lifestyles as “wrong” simply because they don’t align with our preconceptions?
In truth, there are many dangers to keeping yourself sheltered inside echo chambers online. To start, it leads to polarization and narrow-mindedness in the already contentious world of social media.
Subcultures are alluring because they promise a sense of belonging among like-minded people and offer content catering to your specific interests. However, they also promote a sort of exclusivity where you’re either “in” or you’re not.
There are readers, and then there are those on BookTok. There are people with green thumbs, and then there are those on PlantTok. The subcultures run so deep, you can be welcomed into tight-knit communities for any topic, ranging from cryptocurrency to pregnancy journeys.
I see no issue in fostering community online, especially after recent years where isolation has led us to depend so heavily on virtual spaces for connection. However, it shouldn’t turn into digital cliques where you pride yourself on the subculture you’re part of above all else.
Echo chambers also encourage radicalization depending on which niches you fall into. There are countless popular creators who found fame by creating false dichotomies in viewers’ minds.
It is either X or Y. X is the “good” side, the “right” side, the side you need to be on. Anyone on Y is clearly wrong, and you should hate them because of it!
To put it bluntly, it is irrational to believe that whatever you prefer is the only side worthy of support.
If you believe in X, you should listen to someone who follows Y. Engage in respectful discourse. Have meaningful, constructive conversations where you can understand the other side and still feel confident in your own choices.
It’s much more beneficial to challenge yourself and your views than remain confined in groups that only serve to reinforce what you already believe. If everyone forced themselves to stay within their comfort zones, we’d never find any progress.
Do you think Baskin-Robbins would have so many flavors if we decided to stop experimenting after vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry?
Don’t fall victim to groupthink. Don’t go down rabbit holes of misinformation or partisan splits. Don’t allow yourself to be complacent just because you’re comfortable.
The next time you open TikTok, I challenge you to look through the accounts you’re currently following. Do they all fall on the same lines drawn by the subcultures you interact with?
Engage with the unknown. Comment on a video you disagree with to start a dialogue. Follow a creator you’re not familiar with to broaden your views and see new perspectives.
Break through the bubble you’ve created and let diverse voices ring out above the echo.