It’s called a hook.

And yes it’s intentional by the algorithm to keep you engaged.

Yep.

It’s mostly fake. But it’s all deliberate.

When you use TikTok, remember that.

First one’s free. It’s an addiction mechanic trying to exploit your psychology that should be illegal.

These algorithms have already been compromised by AI-generated videos. It's time to move to the Fediverse, where you can pick a server with rules and content that match your preferences—or create your own. That's better suited for experienced users, but the real challenge is that most people struggle to decide what they want to see in their feeds 😅

Most likely they throw the first one in a wide net to see what reaction it gets. Then if there isn't much engagement it won't push newer content as much.