Recommendation Algorithm in TikTok: Strengths, Dilemmas, and Possible Directions

Abstract

Recommendation algorithms are reshaping the ecology of digital video-sharing platforms and users' media usage behaviors. TikTok's recommender system is widely considered to be an outstanding representative among them. Although a large amount of research has been conducted in relation to TikTok, most of these studies pay attention to content analysis, platform features study, user behavior examination and technical aspects of platform algorithm. However, there is markedly less research into TikTok’s recommendation algorithm as well as relevant theoretical and empirical support for this. Based on a slightly simplified variant of the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines (Page et al., 2021), this paper reviews the literature on the use of recommendation algorithm in TikTok, aiming to serve as a brief primer to answer the strengths and dilemmas of the adoption of recommendation algorithm on the TikTok platform, and to propose possible directions for short-form mobile video platforms.

The Role of Tiktok Application to Learn English Vocabulary: A Survey on Student Teachers

“…Even though YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram has short videos or stories that make users could share their content, TikTok is more favorable since it had already millions of users and gives uniqueness to learning English vocabulary. TikTok algorithm has a timely and effective response to the demands of today's rapidly evolving society (Wang, 2022). In addition, the third interviewee emphasized other features, such as song and lip-sync content, which engage users or students to learn and pronounce vocabulary.…”

“…TikTok is programmed with algorithm technology, one of them suggested utilizing its features such as like, repost, and sharing content, which make users receive video feeds without reducing the time cost to search information. As regards the algorithm works required to extract a fraction of content from a big user data library, which is expected to establish the order of the recommendation list (Wang, 2022). Moreover, the last interviewee also had an agreement, which needed to find and watch them to determine the best content to be used in the class.…”

TikTok como herramienta de marketing digital: estudio de caso de la marca Freshly Cosmetics

“…Empero, su mayor mérito reside en: 1) la creación de un algoritmo de gran sofisticación que opera con IA y que optimiza la recepción, organización y distribución de las piezas audiovisuales entre los usuarios (Scanlon, 2020;Zhao, 2021). El perfeccionamiento del proceso de recomendaciones con el que operan, que aprende de la información que el usuario deja en la plataforma -como son las visualizaciones, el material creado, las interacciones o la información del perfil-, ha logrado aumentar el número de nuevos usuarios, pero también el tiempo de consumo año a año (Wang, 2022); y 2) las herramientas que TikTok ha ido poniendo a disposición del usuario para la creación de contenido propio UGC (Patel & Binjola, 2020;Wang, 2020). Así pues, la combinación de estos dos factores y las constantes mejoras que TikTok continúa implementando están logrando que sea la empresa que más rápido está creciendo en los últimos años (Levine, 2022).…”

Verification Agencies on TikTok: The Case of MediaWise and Politifact

“…Likewise, in the analysis of its rapid success, it is possible to cite various scenarios that have worked in its favour as well as business actions undertaken by the Asian company that created its success. Thus, it can be admitted that the pandemic period during COVID-19 boosted TikTok's growth as well as that of other companies in the entertainment industry; especially for TikTok, the pandemic occurred at a time of global expansion [5][6][7]. Another highlight is the sophistication of its algorithm, which is one of the most advanced and complex operating on the Internet [8,9].…”

“…Moreover, it is the only social network to date that places the sophistication of its algorithm at the pinnacle of the audience experience it generates [10][11][12]. Equally, the algorithm also achieves another effect: its users stay online longer, consuming more content [4,7]. Similarly, one could argue that their business strategies are a reason for this feat.…”