Not all TikTok magic sucks, but holy shit, the majority of it does. I don’t think it’s an issue with TikTok magicians, and I don’t think it’s magic itself. I reckon it’s all down to the platform. We’ve discussed algorithm hacking in the past. The concept of riding algorithms has been around for a long time now.

Platforms keep their algorithms top-secret and continually tweak them. They tweak them, so the platforms don’t become boring. They keep them a secret because there’s a net negative to any algorithm being public.

Algorithms, if left untouched, can have disastrous consequences. They can lead to children being exploited, pranks being taken to illegal lengths and they can even lead to colossal misinformation, election meddling and insurrections.

At this point, It’s just a fact that if the public knows what the algorithms are pushing, they will misuse that knowledge with terrible consequences. It’s just one of those things that will always, always happen. A little like how if you give people the ability to draw, they shall draw dicks.

TikTok has gamified social media more than any other platform, even Facebook, were prepared to do. Besides creating an addictive culture for their passive users, swiping through endless videos like they would at a Las Vegas slot machine, they’re making the app addictive for their posting users too.

Every week a new user goes viral and has their five minutes of fame. Posting content feels like entering a lottery. If you win, you’ll be the next Lil Nas X or D’Amilio twin — worth millions and millions of dollars.

As you can read, I’m not the biggest fan of the platform. It’s not the magicians on there; a lot of them I like, and some I enjoy working with. My angst is with the platform itself. It doesn’t reward good magic. In fact, it’s doesn’t reward good anything, really.

My friend Anna DeGuzman sent me a TikTok this week that I’d seen before. But when I saw it the first time round, I couldn’t fully articulate why TikTok always weirded me out so much. Now that I see the app as a casino luring people away from good work and into the pits of algorithm waves, I saw the video in a new light. I like how it illustrates so linearly the dangers of choosing to chase algorithms over choosing to make good content.

Oh, btw — if you care about clout and money, ignore all of the above and sign up to TikTok today. There are ways to succeed without falling for the lure of the algorithms, but I gotta tell you: it’s hard not to fall for the algorithms.