Illustration by The New York Times
What is TikTok anyway?
Imagine it is 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic is hitting us full force; no one on the streets, people fighting over toilet paper, going on family walks to do something to pass the time, and the heated debate of whether or not masks are necessary for us to keep ourselves and others safe. In the midst of all this chaos, there is something out there that the Gen-Z population is using to pass the time- TikTok. This was one of the things that happened so rapidly that if you did not download TikTok you got instant FOMO, or fear of missing out. All your friends had downloaded the app to pass the time and to have a laugh during the dark times we were in and some even participated and made videos!
I’m sure anyone who has ever been on TikTok, Gen Z or not, remembers some of the sounds and dances that were popular when the app first gained popularity because they would appear on other social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, or even Twitter. Though, this does strike the question of what is the point of TikTok? Is it just rotting our brains while we scroll endlessly for hours? There is no correct answer! (In my opinion) I have learned alot from TikTok whether it be a new recipe to try for dinner, learning of global news happening, or just simply hearing the hot celebrity gossip of the day! Some of the most notable trends in 2020 mainly had to do with lifestyle videos such as outfits of the day, what I eat in a day, or the trending TikTok sound to dance to that week.
The rise of TikTok has raised some concerns over the years. Parents are worried of the types of videos that are being posted and that can show up on their child’s “For You” page. As a parent, I completely understand this concern but there are always parental controls for the app or iPhones allow you to control how long your child is on a certain app. TikTok works on an algorithm and this builds your “For You” page and tailors it to similar videos that you have liked or commented on in the past. However, this is another concern raised with the app. There is the worry that TikTok has access to too much of our information and if they do- what are they doing with it? This has been a prominent concern in Congress in 2023 and 2024 and The Senate is wanting to restrict or ban the app altogether in the name of protecting the American people. I am not one to tell someone what to or not to do with their time however, I would like to share some interesting information I came across while reading about TikTok.
“What the hearing made clear to me was that TikTok should be banned in the United States of America to address the immediate threat and we also need a national data privacy law”
McMorris Rodgers
So, what is the impact?
Since 2020 the app has been downlaoded onto millions of devices worldwide and other social media apps are struggling to keep up in terms of popularity. Because of the wild success of this app, it has integrated many new ways to generate revenue from the content creators and users. Just like any other social media platform, there are sponsored ads that will show up on your feed every so often usually with a direct link to the website of whatever the advertisement is for! This is another way for the app and the sponsors to make money. Companies will also pay a popular content creater to promote their product to their hundreds of thousands of follows and when their link is used at checkout, both the company and the content creater earns money. Because of TikTok, being an influencer is considered a fulltime job now more than ever before! I am not one to judge because I could not even film, edit, and post a 5 second video without getting so confused or frustrated that I gave up! This app has videos for everyone and I mean everyone from cooking, to #planttok, fashion, news, gaming, education, celebrities, dancing, singing, and the list goes on and on. I have heard more times than I can count when someone is asked “how did you know that?” or “where did you hear that” their answer is “oh, I saw a TikTok video!”. Is this how people are getting all their news now? In some instances, yes! People are able to find out things through TikTok than any other news outlet or social media platform. This also helps people join together for a cause they are passionate about, political or not. This app can unite people, educate people, persuade people, and even allow people to shop on their TikTok shop. As far as social media platforms, this one is at the top for popularity. Whether you go on TikTok once a day or scroll for 2 hours before bed every night, how you decide to use it and let it impact your life is up to you. I cannot tell you whether or not TikTok is “good” or “bad” for us as a society, I can only tell you that TikTok has changed the social media game forever and we will probably never go back! Do what you will with this information, I am not here to persuade you one way or another. As for me, I will be getting my laugh in when I need it and I might look up some different recipes to try too, happy scrolling!
Picture pulled from Facebook.
References:
Herrman, J. (2019, March 10). How TikTok is rewriting the world. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/10/style/what-is-tik-tok.html
Pellish, A. (2023, March 27). Republican lawmaker calls Tiktok “an immediate threat” and calls for app to be banned | CNN politics. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/26/politics/tiktok-ban-congress-mcmorris-rodgers-threat-cnntv/index.html
Today. (n.d.). The big read in short: The rise of TikTok and its profound impact on society. TODAY. https://www.todayonline.com/big-read/rise-tiktok-and-its-profound-impact-society-1968386
YouTube. (2021, September 23). How to make a tiktok video. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yViR5iNh5Is