Research Assistant
CurrentAs a RA with Prof. Joseph Vybihal, I developed a script robot using Selenium to simulate human interaction on TikTok. This bot was designed to collect content from the platform in a manner that mimics the behavior of a real user. By doing so, we were able to analyze TikTok's algorithms and understand how the platform creates the "suction effect" that keeps users engaged. This project allowed us to explore the mechanisms behind user retention and how social media platforms like TikTok tailor content to enhance user experience.