Authentic Art in the Age of TikTok

"To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle any human can fight." — E.E. Cummings.

Here's an AI-powered conversation from NotebookLM, about today's piece. It's a great way to compliment the writing and also an unbelievable feat of AI, considering that these are two AIs having a conversation about what I wrote. They get nearly everything right (except for the pronunciation of my last name a few times).

I think it serves as a great complement to the written piece; I hope you enjoy both!

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I cut back my TikTok use this year after realizing how easily it fed my over-indulgent tendencies. Every swipe a hit off the digital crack pipe.

It was a spontaneous Thursday off work—one I planned to spend reading Carl Jung, drafting my next Frontier Letter, and genuinely unwinding. But TikTok had other plans, and I found myself scrolling away.

The algorithm fed me this clip of comedian Theo Von talking with Ed Sheeran - it's so funny in a way that is unique to Theo.

@theovonlearning the ropes 🇬🇧 @Ed Sheeran

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Theo Von has a large TikTok following of 7 million people. Comedians of his caliber possess an authenticity that contributes to their popularity; reaching their level is impossible without being one-of-a-kind. Theo’s character is almost indescribable other than it's so 'him,' or it's so 'Theo Von.' 

Witnessing Theo's unique authenticity made me reflect on how rare such genuine expression is on platforms designed for endless scrolling and consumption.

Social media like TikTok has evolved to increasingly design addiction as the objective because the longer eyes stay on the platform, the more ad revenue that platform generates as its digital real estate becomes more valuable to advertisers.

This trend has evolved and brought us to the Death of the Follower—the phenomenon where our social media has evolved to unlink the creator-follower relationship—and has largely contributed to the mental health epidemic. One lesser-discussed aspect is that it has led to a creator's loss of self—where creators make their creations based on what the algorithm wants, favoring the distribution of their content.

True, not every creator bends to an algorithm. However, I would offer an educated guess that the majority do¹.

Yet here I was, on TikTok, consuming authentic content while simultaneously hooked up to the dopamine drip IV. This made me consider that platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Reels—despite their addictive nature—might actually be a good place for an authenticity insurgence to begin.

This juxtaposition made me consider that although these platforms are the epitome of the addictive algorithm—even when conscious of its impact—we can avoid letting the algorithm determine our identity and creative output by adhering to principles which help us retain our authenticity.

Some hold an extremely pessimistic view of TikTok, considering it Chinese spyware designed to manipulate Western youth, thereby enabling China to undermine Western nations without ever shedding blood.

Part of the solution is retooling the algorithm, which would be challenging given the amount of money generated from the current model.

Perhaps the best solution lies within the same philosophical underpinning as this pessimistic view of TikTok:

"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting."

~ Sun Tzu

Beyond the Doom Scroll - AuthenticTok

I had attempted to create on TikTok for roughly a year. While I did manage to pick up a follower base, I found that I was subordinating myself to the algorithm.

It's not that I was lying or deceiving followers. If something was complex, nuanced, and required a drawn-out thought session, I would try to compact it to 1 minute, as the TikTok algorithm preferred. I noticed that while it was good practice to understand something enough to explain it simply, it never allowed exploration of depth and detail. Those who've attended my live streams or read my newsletter know I strive to think deeply and critically, questioning my own views while moving forward cautiously.

I like to say, "Learn down to the atom and up to god." Cover the technical bases to the extent that you can explain something down to the atom and understand the philosophical implications of its implementation.

TikTok did not necessarily allow me to explore this. I could have explored it separately, but I felt that condensing it down would lose much of the beauty of the exploration.

That's not to say that a TikTok cannot be made beautiful - but it's not the norm.

I stepped back and saw the unhealthy habits TikTok was reinforcing within me as a creator. I was not exploring the creations I wanted to explore; I was "niching down," and as the advice of the social media gurus goes, follow what the audience wants. Follow the likes and gain more of an audience.

It became apparent to me across social media as I started creating.

On Twitch, I saw streamers do this all the time. It was as if their live stream was explicitly designed for clip-baiting, with their actions and speech mere instruments to achieve a planned clickable clip.

'If the algorithm will feed others quick, outrageous, and enraging content, why not target all my time on that kind of content?' Goes the thought process of one of those creators.

Scrolling through TikTok, I encounter unnatural clips—podcast questions crafted to provoke outrageous reactions that might go viral but don't foster a healthy, enduring audience culture. Worse - it means that more than two people are conversing—the algorithm has infiltrated your speech. Over time, you become a version of yourself modified by the algorithm.

In a way, these creators have made the same fatal flaw that mainstream media has. Where mainstream media no longer pursues the honest reporting of important information to the benefit of clickbaiting headlines, mainstream social media no longer pursues authentic creation to the benefit of addicting short-form video.

Interestingly, I returned to Substack, started following my interests, and contemplated what captivated my curiosity. While I follow a disciplined schedule and try to promote my work, I follow the path in front of me as it lays itself out through my dreams and the unconscious signals—my art is now uniquely me.

After taking this path, the last thing that appealed to me was continuing with creating on TikTok.

It was a necessary part of the journey, but it's worrisome to know that if I had become ultra-successful or viral during that time, I might not have been able to see my way out of it.

But

I realize that TikTok is filled with clips like the one of Theo. 

It is possible to retain authenticity as a creator on TikTok. Those who write on Substack and create on YouTube with the intention of creating video content in the future shouldn't shy away from a platform like TikTok. 

Yes, it is undoubtedly contributing to a mental health epidemic, a loss of self in creators, and a potential psychological weapon of war.

However, that does not contend with the fact that it exists and is one of the most popular social media platforms. I think to myself, what should I do about it?

It exists, and it is likely not going anywhere for some time. So, why not use it to infuse my authenticity into the algorithm? 

Instead of striving to be clickbait-worthy, why not infuse the platform with my unique qualities—qualities everyone could offer if they embarked on a journey to discover them within themselves?

With anything potentially dangerous, there are principles to follow when creating or using it, which are beneficial to at least keep in mind when using or creating on one of these platforms.

To navigate this challenge, I've developed a set of principles—a 'TikTok Values Operation Manual'—to use as guidelines.

The TikTok Values Operation Manual

Below is a brief list I have compiled to follow if I decide to repurpose any content or create short-form videos like shorts or TikTok. I may add to this in the future.

If you're reading this as a creator or have a unique perspective on a mode of being when creating shorts-type content, please relay the info here!

1. All of the values of Frontier Media Apply

2. Never subordinate myself to the algorithm.

3. Regardless of the length of content, put in the same level of work and diligence that you would for a Frontier Letter piece.

4. Favor the creation of clipped content from your long-form videos, rather than the sole creation of short-form videos.

   1. This will anchor me to the video creation of a platform that creates a genuine follower connection (YouTube is the closest as of now)

5. Have at least 3 years of authentic and genuine creation under your belt.

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The evolution of our social media paradigm is not ideal. In fact, I think it is backward. I've previously discussed some of the problems and potential solutions. I believe that turning the tide, in a way, means infusing authentic creation into those platforms. 

When I see those videos of Theo Von, it doesn't make me want more of TikTok; it makes me want more of his art. Which, in essence, creates a creator-follower connection again. 

The current social media paradigm is a marvelous feat, and I can connect with the collective human consciousness in seconds. The algorithms underlying this paradigm are flawed, but it's what we have, and reversing course is extraordinarily challenging, especially considering the massive $251 billion industry it has created.

Dealing with this problem is best done one individual at a time. As more authentic creation permeates these platforms, there may be an opportunity to incentivize retooling the algorithm to restore the creator-follower connection or, at a minimum, incentivize users to move to the creator-follower relationship with their favorite creators.

By committing to authentic creation, we can collectively shift the social media landscape towards a more genuine and enriching experience. If we can maintain authentic creation, it's to our advantage to use these platforms, so long as you have a way to ensure the algorithm doesn't corrupt you. 

A change is impending, as I wrote in "The Authenticity Insurgence":

"I think that this is an impending counter-culture movement that's been washing up on the shore, tickling our ankles for the better part of the past decade; now, a tsunami is approaching the horizon.

It's only a matter of time before a culture with extremely advanced technology seeks nourishment of that which is uniquely human.

A numinous sight to behold."

Until next time

Take care of yourself, everyone

Dom

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1. Survey: Creators describe tense relationships with social media. There are, of course, inaccuracies with survey data, but I can also point to the large size of the social media management market, estimated at 20.6 Billion in 2023. It's difficult to accurately measure those who are not authentically creating or bending to the will of the algorithm, so survey data, in a sense, is one of the best ways to get this information because if people feel they're not themselves in creation, then that's probably a sign that they're not.