We’ve all experienced it. You’re doomscrolling on TikTok after a long day at work and then you’re confronted with the most chaotic video in existence on Live.
And you can’t help but stop and watch it for a few seconds to try and make sense of what you’re seeing.
A woman squeezing her partner’s back acne for millions of live viewers... A man sitting in what looks like a dungeon wearing a mask like something out of a horror film… Someone playing with their baby, until you look closer and realise it’s an extremely lifelike doll they dress up every day.
Each one with comments flooding in from confused viewers.
After the latest in a long line of bizarre Live content hit my TikTok feed, I decided to look further into why exactly the platform is sending all these – ahem, unusual – videos my way.
“TikTok is known for its niche and often weird sub-communities; it’s a place defined by trends and shared interests and so there are communities for all sorts of strange things emerging all the time,” says G Bansal, co-founder and creative strategy director of One Twelve Agency.
“Beyond the people making and consuming this content because of an odd subculture they’ve found themselves in, there are always people who like to troll others by sharing creepy or shocking videos. This is nothing new and has happened since the early days of the internet, simply moving with platforms as they increase in popularity.”
As well as the shock factor, the reason why you’re seeing so much strange content could have something to do with how long you’re watching it when you do come across something odd, says Sophie Fresco, senior programme executive at communications consultancy, Hotwire Global.
“Just like on the For You page on TikTok, the algorithm tracks how long users interact with a video for. Even if you watch these videos for only a few seconds, if you’ve shown enough intrigue, the algorithm will treat the interaction as a sign of interest.
“Consequently, it will share similar videos to the one you watched in the future. Cue the pimple popping videos…”
The intuitive nature of the algorithm has a lot to do with what you’re shown, agrees Aaron Thomas, content creator at Salience Search Marketing.
“TikTok’s algorithm is built to keep the viewer tuned in and always coming back for more of the content they watch,” says Thomas. “After all, it wants to keep you on the app. Therefore, the recommended videos will feature content and themes it presumes you already enjoy based on past viewing behaviour.”
So, what can you do if you don’t want to experience all the weirdness? You can try a few things, recommends Bansal.
“It’s hard to know how to avoid the videos flat-out as the TikTok algorithm is hard to pinpoint, but the best thing to do is refuse to engage with content that you don’t want to see.
“Don’t linger on a TikTok live that’s creepy to show a friend or out of curiosity, as the program can’t distinguish your motivations for watching a stream and will think you’re enjoying it, and then serve you similar content in the future.
“You can of course block the content if you find it offensive too by clicking the not interested button.”
And what to do if you’re an avid TikTokker who’d like to see your live videos perform better (or are yet to dip your toes into live streaming)?
“Keep at it,” says Fresco. “Performing well on live doesn’t happen overnight. Being consistent is key to performing well. Don’t just get hung up on getting your content to go viral.”
She recommends trying new things, too – “some videos and trends won’t always land with your followers, but then you can go back to the drawing board and create a new concept,” she adds.
And it’s important to stand out from the crowd, too. Be original, suggests Fresco – with over 1 billion active users on the platform, making sure your content is authentic to your personal image “is essential”.
That originality factor could have something to do with why there are so many... ‘unique’ videos out there.
So next time you see a video that’s not to your liking, feel free to hit the ‘not interested’ button – or if you don’t mind it, simply lean into the strangeness. Happy scrolling!