The book essentially describes flow as the way that information is passed on by the creator of media to its consumers. Flow can also be studied as data. Online, website data analysts can see trends in how long people view their website, what items or specific pages they tend to view, and interest they might have based on their viewing habits. This is where flow really intersects with our technology keywords. Although it’s been stated before in class, I think the most glaring example of how flow is understood by analysts is on Tiktok. If you ask almost any Tiktok user, they be likely to tell you that their “for you page” is almost specifically tailored to their interests and sense of humor. On mine, I see things that seem like they were almost made to be relatable to me. Occasionally, I even see things pop up on my page that I was talking about to my friends or parents earlier in the day with my phone not even on. They way that Tiktok is able produce this content for me and millions of others is through their understanding of how to interpret flow.
3 thoughts on “Flow – JT Windle”
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I think the flow of personal information within tiktok is a little wacky because there’s so much a company, such as tiktok can gain just from a user’s engagement with the app. As discussed in class, everything a user does within the app can be used as a data point, which then flows between mediums such as the app, the data analysis, algorithms, etc. My “fyp” is constantly evolving because of this continuous flow of personal data, which is again, wacky.
Yes, I agree and think that the Tik Tok “For You Page” is a really good example of flow actively at work. My Tik Tok is constantly changing based off of my every day actions. If I were to like a dog video, more similar videos will instantly pop up. I think that Tik Tok is one of the most prompt examples because of how much it is tailored from user to user. Another aspect of flow within Tik Tok that I find interesting is its connection to advertisements. Not only are videos incorporated into this flow, but sponsors are as well. Through Tik Tok we can see a clear intersection between different medias.
the For you Page on tik tok is a perfect example that describes the concept of flow in today’s modern social media technologies because it manages to keep the user hooked as they obviously push multiple ads. As the user continues to lose self control because of the flow, then the social media company benefits because there is a higher chance of profit making