TikTok took off in 2016, taking over the video making app Musical.ly. Since then, TikTok has been a primary news source for young people. Users of the app get to come up with short content videos. It is a way for the younger generation to express themselves through politics, dance videos, lip-syncing videos, storytimes, get-ready-with-me videos, and more.
People argue that TikTok has harmed the way young people view themselves and set an unrealistic beauty standard. However, there is so much more to the app than just pretty faces and topic stereotypes.
The creative platform also helps businesses reach more people than they could have before, as Tikok’s algorithm allows businesses to reach their target audience at an affordable price.
TikTok also allows companies to create an emotional relationship with the consumer. When viewers see products on their page consistently, they become more familiar with the product and the business owners. The viewer feels that they know the creator of the product.
Businesses may also try to display its product or service in an aesthetically pleasing way. A “cookie thirst trap” is one way cookie companies like Crumbl Cookies make eye-grabbing videos to feature their cookies. You get to see the cookies of the week under a spotlight getting different angles and parts that make the cookies unique. The short videos have made it more accessible for people to look at their cookies.
In addition, TikTok has altered how individuals become famous. With other sites, such as YouTube, only a select few people are known for their luxurious lifestyles. TikTok has the power to make someone famous with just one scroll. It is a faster and easier way to fame.
Ordinary people are now attracting attention on TikTok because of the relatability of their videos, including people like Alix Earle who got her name to fame by posting about her experience with acne and her famous “Get Ready With Me” videos where she would share her everyday experiences that people found to be similar to their life. The relatable content regarding her skin care journey has gained millions of views.
This does not go without saying that TikTok can harm users’ mental health causing a variety of illnesses related to the content as you scroll through your feed. Comparing yourself to people on your feed, or the addictive nature are all important issues that shouldn’t be ignored.
However, people more often than not have a tendency to only focus on the negative side of things rather than looking at how in so many ways, users on TikTok are trying to bring awareness to these topics or share personal stories of their mental health journey. It also has the ability to bring light to different topics helping people get a general perception of mental health topics.
One TikTok celebrity trying to help people, specifically girls, with hardships they might be facing is Spencer Barbosa. Spencer promotes positive body image and the “self-love” trend on the app. She uses her videos to speak about her struggle with bullying and how that affected her, and continues to grow her platform to help other girls build their confidence.
Generation Z is the most diverse and socially accepting generation, and TikTok is an example of how they are focused on spreading confidence rather than tearing people down.
TikTok has its dark sides but we so often focus on the bad parts of it that we forget why so many people are on TikTok in the first place. The app informs people, promotes businesses, and has made the right people famous. Whether individuals trapped in the 1900s agree with it or not, TikTok is the future, and that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
