TikTok Earworms & Disinformation: A Surprising Connection

The Engineered Virality of TikTok Songs

Upon reading a recent Bloomberg article detailing the engineering behind viral songs on TikTok, a striking realization emerged. It wasn't a fully formed thought, but rather a visceral impression.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

This reaction stemmed from a growing awareness of how deeply social media algorithms manipulate our desires, tastes, and preferences. This revelation, however, felt like a particularly forceful impact. It was genuinely unexpected and quite unsettling.

A Luddite's Perspective

While working for a technology-focused publication like TechCrunch, it’s easy to accept technological advancements. However, this story evokes a sense of wanting to reject modern technology. Perhaps it’s akin to the character Cypher from The Matrix, who actively sought re-integration into the simulated reality.

Is this assessment overly critical? Companies naturally pursue business opportunities, and collaboration with major record labels is a logical step for a platform centered on short-form audio-visual content. Furthermore, the creators, many of whom are students, are understandably motivated by potential earnings and recognition.

The Weaponization of Catchiness

However, the implications become more concerning when considering the potential consequences of deliberately engineered catchiness. As the article details, the spread of information – be it internet memes, political messaging, or songs like Megan Thee Stallion’s Savage – is driven not by veracity or source credibility, but by two key factors: memorability and conversational spark.

Remarkably, these are precisely the elements that contemporary music producers are now optimizing for. The Bloomberg report inadvertently reveals a surprising aesthetic similarity between a chart-topping hit and a piece of disinformation. In essence, everyone is performing for attention.

Attention as Currency

Further consideration of the Bloomberg story reveals a particularly concerning detail. ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, responded to potential U.S. bans by recruiting creators to initiate a seemingly organic lawsuit against the proposed restrictions. This realization is sobering. Attention, it seems, is the world’s most valuable resource, and we are freely relinquishing it.

(The internal screams continue.)