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| Tik Tok has modified the For You recommendation to avoid recurring patterns |
TikTok plans to make some significant changes to the "For You" page on the app's home screen. The algorithm that fills the For You page with a steady stream of videos has been tweaked to avoid showing too much of the same type.
In a blog post, the platform wrote:As we continue to develop new strategies for breaking repetitive patterns, we are investigating how our system can better change the recommended types of content. That's why we're testing ways to avoid recommending a bunch of similar content, such as extreme dieting, fitness, grief or separation, to avoid having too much content, which can be good but problematic, displayed as one group video.
The service also works out when algorithms show only limited types of videos to users.
She pointed out that videos that talk about loneliness or losing weight may not break her rules. However, if these types of videos make up the majority of what people see on the For You page, it has a negative impact. So it is important to prevent this from happening.
TikTok said, “Our goal is for the For You feed to show everyone a wide range of content, creators, and topics.”
She noted that a lot of similar videos in the feed do not reflect the kind of experience she wants to improve.
The service consults content and community advisory boards, as well as experts in the fields of medicine, clinical psychology, and artificial intelligence ethics.
In addition, the platform is developing an option that allows users to block videos associated with certain words or hashtags through the "For You" page. This gives them more control over what they see on the home screen.
Tik Tok is testing ways to reduce problematic content
The For You page recommendation algorithm is a secret component of the platform and one of the main reasons for the app's popularity.
The app's system monitors user interaction patterns, such as how long the screen stays on certain content and which videos someone likes, to see what types of videos a page might make for you.
During an October Senate Commerce Committee hearing on the impact of social media on children and teens, the senator called on a variety of topics for representatives from TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube. This includes how algorithms promote content on topics such as eating disorders and self-harm.
This TikTok ad could help allay government concerns. The platform has found that making and properly implementing these changes to systems and tools can take some time and iteration.