Earlier quoted context omitted.
In what way exactly are you comparing tiktok to HN?
I don't agree with the parent comment's characterization, but I see sites like HN and Reddit described as "social media" all the time. For those us whose Internet citizenship pre-dates Friendster and MySpace, the term "social media" has a particular meaning. But for many younger "social media natives", the term basically just means "any website or app where you can make posts or comments".
When I think about it, it seems like a somewhat arbitrary distinction to make. I suppose the main difference is that the forums were self-hosted and I could have different identities for each one. And while I generally reused the same username, the fact that it wasn't just a matter of 'clicking on my profile' to see all my activity was something I really liked.
Maybe to me the term "social media" has come to mean "social media /companies/"? That doesn't quite satisfy, but it really does feel like the primary difference is that on these forums I knew that they were generally not run for profit, and the 'gods' were just individuals who volunteered their time to host or moderate. It felt safer, and more personal.