I think one of the core strenghts of reddit was that you could configure and adapt it so much, two users could basically have completely different experiences while being on the same page. While I don't search for another imgur/tiktok -however you want to call it-, I know how it would have been just a few clicks and maybe settings away on reddit.
I hope federation will allow for a similar individual experience over time. Certainly it shouldn't be the one dominant thing but there will be instances needed that approach the more visual form to allow for that freedom of choice.