Some apps and websites shape entire eras of the internet, and TikTok is one of them.

It is not like we had never experienced a platform that had short-form video before the clock app came about, but it was certainly the catalyst that took us into a world where, pretty much everywhere you look on the mainstream internet, this is what you will find. It is the place that took our average level of brainrot from pretty severe to off the charts. While it may not last forever, it is hard to think of a world without TikTok nowadays.

For all that it is host to plenty of dumb and even boring content, there is also plenty to keep even a skeptic scrolling if they are given the chance. The key to TikTok’s success is not just the format that it supports, but that mysterious algorithm that seems to know exactly what its users want to see at any given time. Once it finds your niche and discovers your various interests, good luck putting the phone down without some kind of intervention.

The downside of this is that sometimes things can get a little too personalized, and we end up missing out on interesting stuff that might be a little out of our comfort zone. This means it is positively a good thing to get served up a selection of slightly more random highlights in a form that has a beginning and an end, at least until the next time. You never know, a TikToker featured below may serve up an experience that expands your mind, or that you at least find amusing.