Arvind Nagarajan

TikTok

In our new house, I am nearly done curating my mini-library. It’s a collection of all of my favorite books, from childhood to present.

I tell people, if you want to know who I am, how I think, what I care about, what I love, look at these books. There’s no better list to understand me.

And I honestly believed that. But before it’s even completed, I know in my heart that’s no longer true. The best way to learn who I am, how I think, what I care about, what I love…is to scroll through my For You Page on TikTok. It’s a window to look directly into my soul.

I’ve been embarrassed about my TikTok habit, almost like reading a trashy romance novel. It’s not something I’m proud of. But now, with recent news that TikTok has overtaken YouTube in average watch time in the US, I realize I’m far from alone.

To the few folks I share my TikTok habit with, I’ve been more bullish than you can imagine. I think they’ve unlocked something truly magical. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Here’s a roadmap for what’s to come:

  • What TikTok is

  • The appealing elements of TikTok

  • The scary parts of TikTok

  • Wouldn’t it be awesome if…? - My ideas to make TikTok better

  • A cautionary tale

What TikTok is

For those of you who don’t live under a rock (or have real lives), TikTok is a video

The appealing elements of TikTok

Makes you think

  • I think this captures society. Break down funny tiktok. First of its kind pod. 

  • First wealth distribution. Median income. Min wage. One guy earning crazy amount. 

  • First happy for his wealth. This is a meritocracy, you’re  smarter than me, you earned it, you should be proud. This is how we  celebrate success in life like it’s so earned. 

  • Then, we find out that since we know it was possible to  make it, we aren’t going to help those that didn’t. This enrages the  masses left behind. Like wtf. Creates antagonism for the rich. This is  the anger that fuels the 99%. 

  • Finally, the twist. We realize that this wasn’t a  meritocracy at all. The change in grade. If you notice, neither of them  were surprised at their initial grade and justified it. It’s all luck  man. There’s no meritocracy so let’s drop our crazy  celebration of success and our lack of empathy for the poor. 

  • Wibai if we acted like we were in a meritocracy but treated others like we weren’t?

  • a

  • Niamh Adkins - wish

  • Capitalism

Made us want to learn

  • LIFE HACK joke to intro

  • Science

  • English

  • Math

  1. TikTok - stitch with a bunch of different TikToks to make each point

  2. Explaining the appeal of TikTok - Wouldn’t it be awesome if everyone was on TikTok?

  3. Comparison to Clubhouse (accessible for participation)

  4. TikTok creator fund

  5. Enjoying watching ads

  6. https://www.tiktok.com/@abrahampiper/video/6987430109317827846?sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6975214476354405893&is_from_webapp=v1&is_copy_url=0

  7. sheena melwani

  8. rich black guy

  9. Amazing algorithm

  10. Applications for learning

  11. Explaining the scary elements of TikTok - Wouldn’t it be awesome if TikTok were banned?

  12. Knows me better than I know myself.

  13. press conference video

  14. abraham piper

  15. Optimized for my addiction.

  16. Listen to this Tiktok - algorithm

  17. https://www.tiktok.com/@lindsaylucido/video/6946660526504152326?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESMgowrVh8esnvHvnoGckZra8AcZgyRxw0l8WQ8Db3lAGxEunNaGaqp3MAlb%2FxCBleu0qeGgA%3D&language=en&preview_pb=0&sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAACPtHy5KcJRmLtDFIjQwn_f3EyH9TGCw_aBNdNHqLPylbP9BbfRsQUYoHyYnMIX-3&share_item_id=6946660526504152326&share_link_id=D0C02C95-9C42-492B-AD19-DD7588DEEE19×tamp=1617728336&tt_from=email&u_code=dfe329cifl7hak&user_id=6894660038528074758&utm_campaign=client_share&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=email&source=h5_m&_r=1

  18. Solutions

  19. Wouldn’t it be awesome if the Tik-Tok algorithm were open-sourced?

  20. Wouldn’t it be awesome if TikTok invested in creators?

  21. Wouldn’t it be awesome if the algorithm was optimizing for something other than our attention?

  22. We’re demanding perfection from algorithms. We need to demand improvement and transparency instead.

2/10

  • WIBAI if TikTok made money when their creators made money?

  • You mean the TikTok creator fund

  • Yeah, I think this concept of removing the middlemen between creators and consumers is the future.

  • Sounds like a cliche. What the hell does that mean?

3/10

  • WIBAI if a platform could predict the future creators of tomorrow and then invest in their success?

  • You mean like an agency?

  • Yeah, so there’s this crazy thing. They are the first to identify hit songs. Stitch with Spotify TIkTok

4/10

  • WIBAI if product placement and advertising were so well done that you actually enjoyed watching ads?

  • Sheela Melwani stitch

5/10

  • WIBAI if Quibi had social?

  • Oh you mean TikTok

  • Yeah, Quibi was such a disaster. Short-form videos. Who likes that?

  • Well, it had a lot of great names and content. It was a big swing. 

  • Stitch JoshTerry plays

WIBAI we learned science through tiktok?

  • check gmail

WIBAI algorithms optimized for the person we aspire to be?

  • check gmail

IS THERE A CAMEO ANGLE? FAMOUS PEOPLE, MOSTLY PAST THEIR PRIME, TRYING TO SQUEEZE THE ORANGE A LITTLE LONGER TO GET MORE JUICE. TIKTOK IS FOR THOUSANDS OF LITTLE SEEDS TO COMPETE FOR LIGHT IN A GARDEN.

ULTIMATE ELEVATOR PITCH….

5 things I wish TikTok would do

  • Wouldn’t it be awesome if they incentivized healthy consumption habits?

  • Wouldn’t it be awesome if their for you algorithm was open source?

  • Wouldn’t it be awesome if they only used my data the way I wanted them to?

  • WIBAI if they invested their own money based on my likes instead of my money for the creator fund?

  • WIBAI if they cared as much about their creators and their consumers as much as they did their bottom line?

  • That sounds like some non-profit bullshit.

  • WIBAI if there was a way that I could make money when my favorite creators made more money?