The first episode of The Backup Account Podcast. Jacob and Leo crack the TikTok algorithm and discuss how it is set up to be as addictive as possible. Now that the real money to be made or spent on TikTok is in livestreams, trends like the NPC (non-playable character) are feeling like 70s peep shows and even nods to depression eras. What does this say about us, and why is it going so viral?
Jacob: “One of the most popular live trends is this one of a person sleeping in a room. There are all of these devices around the sleeping person and some some “automated system.” When you send a “gift” it activates and some sound or zapping function which lets you try to wake them up. So…it's like torture, basically.”
Leo: “It's torture and porn lite. They're endurance tests that date back to the dance marathons of the Depression, the ultimate spectacle…they've been there for eight hours, and they're tired and still have to smile. Anytime we have economic strife in a culture, we end up figuring out how to make the poorest of people into entertainment.”
Leo and I have been collaborators for 20 years but this is our very first time turning the mics on opposite each other. As many of you already know, my main gig these days is hosting Telekom Electronic Beats “The Week” podcast here in Berlin. You might not know I was also the producer and co-writer for Leo Herrera’s A Bumpy Ride podcast and a radio host for years. You can read Leo’s wonderful substack here.
