The lonely algorithm problem: the relationship between
algorithmic personalization and social connectedness
on TikTok

The lonely algorithm problem: the relationship between
algorithmic personalization and social connectedness
on TikTok

perceived algorithm responsiveness, social identity, social connectedness, daily diary method, TikTok.

Many major social media companies have claimed that their social feed algorithms were designed to promote relational well-being and enhance social
connection. This project tested part of these claims by investigating if algorithmic personalization predicted social connectedness on TikTok, where
connecting with identity-relevant media content is prioritized over interpersonal interaction. Drawing from the algorithm responsiveness process, we

identified perceived algorithm responsiveness (PAR) and perceived algorithm insensitivity (PAI) as perceptual mechanisms of how algorithmic person-
alization relates to social connectedness. In two preregistered studies, an online survey and a 2-week daily diary survey, results suggested that the

TikTok For You algorithm curating frequent and positively valenced identity-relevant content was associated with higher PAR and less PAI. In turn,

higher levels of PAR predicted more social connectedness, but PAI did not. These findings highlight the sociotechnical dynamics of algorithms, sug-
gesting human–algorithm interaction predicted social connectedness not only an algorithm’s code.

Samuel Hardman Taylor 1,�, Y. Anthony Chen

https://doi.org/10.1093/jcmc/zmae017

Oxford University Press on behalf of International Communication Association.

August 6, 2024

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