Solar flares per year (C-class+)

TikTok downloads and C-class solar flares, both climbing. The Sun is approaching solar maximum on its own schedule; the algorithm is reaching saturation on its own schedule; the timing is, this once, briefly aligned.

Solar flare counts (C-class and above) have grown across this window because the Sun is approaching the peak of its 11-year cycle, with solar maximum expected around 2024-2025. TikTok app downloads per year grew from about 660 million in 2018 to over 670 million in 2023 as the platform reached deep saturation in most markets. Two completely unrelated lines sharing a window because the same six years happened to coincide with a solar peak and a platform's growth ramp. Stellar physics and platform growth, briefly synchronised.

The Sun and the algorithm hit their own peaks at once. Independent cycles can look correlated when the calendar overlaps.