In public shallow interactions don’t need to stay that way. It’s not a question of the possibility of levels of interaction but the rates.

Many people can go to a bar and fairly reliably get laid several times a month. That’s simply not possible for the overwhelming majority of people using TikTok. TikTok / Twitter/ Instagram etc are designed to be shallow interaction so people stick around. Dating apps fill that niche, but also want people to come back.

Being in public allows for the full range of relationships in any setting. You can meet a great friends at a bar etc.