To all the people complaining about this and acting like it’s a bigger deal than it is

It's even simpler than that: their algorithm will throw "new" things at you to throw you out of your usual bubble to see if you like it. It's that simple.

How do we rule out the possibility that these individuals aren't unknowingly causing their own algorithm changes? Especially when we understand and see on a daily basis an influx of individuals who post on this subreddit not knowing what metrics it is checking for specifically.

Merely letting the video play on your phone for longer than 8-10 seconds may be enough to tell TikTok you are somewhat interested in that creator or the hashtags used.

If you comment on a video, that without a doubt tells the algorithm you want more of that content. And because people lack knowledge of this and or lack restraint (like me lol), that is how rage bait content garners millions of views on TikTok. It isn't tracking what you like per se, it's tracking engagement.

So yes, I agree. There is no evidence to suggest anything large and nefarious is happening. Just plain ole ignorance.

Edit: u/Moogly2021 also nailed a great point. Since rage bait and other topics become popular, it might try tossing some new stuff at you to see how you react to it. People are simply failing to "tell" their algothim they don't want to see it. Sadly some stuff is forced, such as TikTok lives and other product ads. But other than that it's self inflicted.