10 Breakthrough Technologies 2021 – MIT Technology Review

Since its launch in China in 2016, TikTok has become one of the worlds fastest-growing social networks. Its been downloaded billions of times and attracted hundreds of millions of users. Why? Because the algorithms that power TikToks For You feed have changed the way people become famous online.

While other platforms are geared more toward highlighting content with mass appeal, TikToks algorithms seem just as likely to pluck a new creator out of obscurity as they are to feature a known star. And theyre particularly adept at feeding relevant content to niche communities of users who share a particular interest or identity.

The ability of new creators to get a lot of views very quicklyand the ease with which users can discover so many kinds of contenthave contributed to the apps stunning growth. Other social media companies are now scrambling to reproduce these features on their own apps. Abby Ohlheiser profiles a TikTok creator who was surprised by her own success on the platform.

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10 Breakthrough Technologies 2021 - MIT Technology Review