Should I be worried about my obsessive TikTok use? My ‘For You’ page doesn’t think so | Emma Beddington
Jan 19, 2025
As US users mourn their ‘Chinese spy’ being taken away, my algorithm is busy serving me queer chickens and pastry contentAs the US TikTok ban looms, users of the app there have been posting farewell messages for their “Chinese spy”, satirising the security concerns behind the ban as they offer up heartfelt appreciations of the ultra-targeted content on their For You pages.There is a lot, they claim, to be grateful for: their “Chinese spies” have soothed and amused them, steered them towards splitting with unsuitable partners and toxic workplaces, helped them recover from divorce, changed their political perspectives and sometimes their entire lives. “My ‘Chinese spy’ was brave enough to tell me I’m an autistic lesbian and I should leave my husband. And I don’t know if anyone will care about me that much ever again,” reads a typical post, over dramatic footage of the grieving author. A commenter below claims the algorithm knew they were gay four years before they knew themselves; another says the app accurately diagnosed them with a skin condition that two dermatologists missed. Other people are just grateful for pizza recipes and hotel room hacks. Continue reading...