Natalia Suniga, founder of Strategy of Things and former Head of TikTok for LATAM, argues that social media, as we knew it, has ceased to exist due to a widespread process of “TikTokization.” Platforms across various sectors have adopted the looping vertical video format and interest-based algorithms, transforming digital environments into search engines, marketplaces, and endless entertainment platforms, which has ultimately displaced the true social element.
This evolution has led to the professionalization of content by brands and influencers, marginalizing the homemade posts of everyday users because algorithms no longer promote them. Without receiving interactions or rewards, people have stopped posting to become passive voyeurs in a hypnotic loop that shapes thoughts, desires, and behaviors; a dynamic that generates a cultural crisis where mass appeal and consensus are built solely on repetition and homogeneity.
Given this scenario, where loneliness emerges as a symptom of the times, the speaker points out that what is at stake is not the fate of the apps, but the way we connect as humanity. For this reason, she concludes by inviting the audience to the “Social Beyond Social” playshop, a space designed by her consulting firm to debate, think beyond current platforms, and reimagine the new forms that social connection spaces will take, both digital and physical.
Don’t miss the full presentation! Watch Natalia Suniga’s Lightning Talk at Media Party 2025 (English subtitles available).
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