TikTok is not social media. In fact, it marks the end of the social era

"The most disruptive element of TikTok is not its meteoric rise, argues 160over90's Leroyson Figueira, but the fact that it's challenging what the word 'social' means in 2022 - signaling, in the process, the end of the social media era. It seems that every new digital platform that is not a website nor a utility app is immediately branded a social platform. Without pausing to think, TikTok has also been branded 'social' by our industry when it is anything but."

"What is social? We use Facebook to share content with our friends. We use the 'like' button to show the world who we are and what we care about: our political views; our humor (cats!); our favorite new music artists. We create communities around everything from our local high street to surfing and fashion. On Facebook, we're being social. The goal is to inject elements of our personal lives into the feeds and timelines of others."

"We scroll the comments section to read what people are saying, even before we watch the content (the comments are often more engaging than the video itself). After watching, we engage with comments by replying or liking. On TikTok, we don't want this type of social interaction. We don't want to engage in communal activity. We watch films. Hundreds of them, back to back, and fast. Swipe, swipe, swipe. I use the word 'films' deliberately: TikTok is not a social channel. It is a broadcast channel."

TikTok reconceives social interaction by prioritizing rapid, individual consumption of short films over interpersonal sharing or identity signaling. Facebook centers on sharing with friends, likes, and community-building; YouTube emphasizes metrics and comment-driven engagement. TikTok functions as a broadcast channel where users swipe through hundreds of short films, favoring viewing speed and volume rather than communal response. The platform democratizes filmmaking by enabling anyone to publish and watch content, creating unlimited creators and film roles without centralized commissioners. The result is a media environment that resembles TV or streaming services more than traditional social platforms.

Read at The Drum