Viral Tank-Top effect: Content creator Zara Dar’s outfit experiment sparks debate on how social media algorithms work
The PhD scholar-turned-OnlyFans model posted identical videos in different outfits. Scroll to know how the Instagram, X and YouTube views were affected.
Carving your own niche on social media today is harder than ever. Be it getting enough reach on Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts, cracking the numbers game is a moving goalpost and understanding algorithms is no mean feat. But content creator Zara Dar has coined a new phrase that may be seen as a viral hack.
In what she has called the "Tank-Top Effect", she filmed the same video, with identical content but one crucial change. In one version, she wore a modest hoodie, while in the other, Zara adorned a tank top with shorts. Uploading both versions to different social media platforms — Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube — Zara checked her insights to compare the numbers.
She then posted the results on LinkedIn, writing, "Testing the "Tank-Top effect". I made the exact same short video twice: once wearing a normal top, and once wearing a tank top. Not to generalize, of course (I need to test this with many more videos), but this boosted views on Instagram by up to 28%, doubled views on X, and reduced views on YouTube. (sic)"
Instagram and X prefer bold looks
On Instagram Reels, Zara’s tank-top video pulled in 30,500 views, compared to 23,700 views for the covered-up version, which is a jump of nearly 28%. Meanwhile, on X, the gap was wider. It had 9,000 views vs 4,400 views, which means that the algorithm more than doubled her reach.
YouTube plays by different rules
In a surprising turn of events, YouTube Shorts flipped the results of this experiment. The modest video outperformed the tank-top one, with 6,800 views versus 6,200 views.
Who is Zara Dar?
Hailing from Texas (USA), Zara Dar is an engineer and YouTuber who used to share complex STEM themes in an accessible way on her channel. She was pursuing a PhD, but quit academia in favour of creating content full-time, particularly for the subscription-based platform OnlyFans. She gained attention last year in December for her revelation that she earned over $1 million (over 8.7 crore) on the platform.
Why this matters for content creators
Zara's viral post on LinkedIn quickly became a talking point among creators, sparking debates on content virality, engagement hacks, and algorithm bias.
The Tank-Top Effect viral test highlights just how unpredictable algorithms can be. While Instagram and X rewarded the “bolder” video, YouTube seemed to favour the more modest version. What this has done is show that there is no universal formula for going viral across platforms. Each has its own unique user base, which responds to and rewards different aesthetics for the same content.
As Zara herself put it: “Not to generalize, of course”, but for creators navigating the crowded digital space, Zara’s experiment proves that platform algorithms, audience psychology, and presentation can all tip the balance between an average post and a viral one.
