Social media is an empty vessel

Many people complain about social media, and often rightfully so. While it can be an amazing tool, there are significant downsides to it. We can talk about the pros and cons of each, but I think TikTok is a unique case among all others. It’s the most vilified by politicians, but it’s also the most accurate reflection of what we really want.

In a recent podcast, Gary Vaynerchuk summarized it perfectly. He said:

“TikTok’s a super empty vessel. Their business is very simple: we are going to build an algorithm that only give you more of what you’ve shown us you want. Period.”

All of social media is like that to a degree, but TikTok is easily the best example. Other networks inject more of what they want you to see, whereas TikTok focuses exclusively on what they think you want to see. While this is the best thing about TikTok, it’s also the worst, as that approach is what’s leading to such unhealthy obsession among many people.

Is TikTok really to blame? Users are providing all of the content, and users are deciding what they want to see. TikTok is just an empty vessel, collecting content from users and spitting it back out.

The next few years should be interesting, as other social networks appear to be trying to follow suit. Instagram and Twitch are both moving to a “content > followers” model like TikTok, and others won’t be far behind.

Are these empty vessels dangerous and/or problematic? Or are they just a reflection of exactly what we want to see?

Social media is an empty vessel

Many people complain about social media, and often rightfully so. While it can be an amazing tool, there are significant downsides to it. We can talk about the pros and cons of each, but I think TikTok is a unique case among all others. It’s the most vilified by politicians, but it’s also the most accurate reflection of what we really want.

In a recent podcast, Gary Vaynerchuk summarized it perfectly. He said:

“TikTok’s a super empty vessel. Their business is very simple: we are going to build an algorithm that only give you more of what you’ve shown us you want. Period.”

All of social media is like that to a degree, but TikTok is easily the best example. Other networks inject more of what they want you to see, whereas TikTok focuses exclusively on what they think you want to see. While this is the best thing about TikTok, it’s also the worst, as that approach is what’s leading to such unhealthy obsession among many people.

Is TikTok really to blame? Users are providing all of the content, and users are deciding what they want to see. TikTok is just an empty vessel, collecting content from users and spitting it back out.

The next few years should be interesting, as other social networks appear to be trying to follow suit. Instagram and Twitch are both moving to a “content > followers” model like TikTok, and others won’t be far behind.

Are these empty vessels dangerous and/or problematic? Or are they just a reflection of exactly what we want to see?