I don’t know about your social media feed but mine feels like I constantly see the same couple of video formats. Whether it’s the emotional hook video, the multitask video or the five things you need to know (note to reader: the last one will shock you!) there is a growing sea of social sameness.

And often it’s a similar picture when it comes to social advertising. Amid a short form video revolution Tiktok has redefined the vertical video format ad in a way that is increasingly being adopted across multiple platforms, be it Instagram Reels, Youtube Shorts, or even now Linkedin videos. No platform is immune.

Growing up I remember the internet as a place we expected to be surprised, inspired or find a new topic/obsession to learn about – instead, it’s become a place where algorithms serve us comfort, in the form of familiarity and, dare I say, mediocrity.

Firstly, we should talk about how we got here and how the algorithms are flattening what, who and how we consume culture.

As Kyle Chayka has pointed out in his book Filterword, social media algorithms are rapidly “flattening culture” and increasingly making decisions for us. In an attempt to give us more “for you” personalised content the algorithms risk putting us in a bubble which removes all serendipity and surprise in our lives.

Music provides another clear example. The “TikTok sound” has emerged – typically 15-30 second clips optimised for maximum virality. This has led many artists to create songs specifically formatted for the platform, often following similar patterns........

© Mumbrella