The Rise of Tiktok and it's Effect on Millions
It’s impossible for you to not have heard about TikTok already. It’s an app created for entertainment and creativity that has dominated the media as well as the world for the past two years. Its unique algorithm has resulted in other multi-billion apps copying its features, and other prominent platforms wondering how they could possibly make an app so interactive and additive.TikTok has even changed the music industry by having popular artists create and post music just for it to trend on the app. TikTok has affected many trends such as clothing and beauty trends, which is similar to how users are aware of certain jokes being trending, and then suddenly getting old. With 800 million active users globally, as of now, close to a billion people have access to tons of information in videos, which can be both good and bad. We can see the tremendous impact TikTok has caused, but such a large impact doesn’t always bring good things either, right?
Statistics
Let’s first look at some statistics of TikTok to see the serious influence it has had on the world. As I mentioned above, TikTok has 800 million active users, and has been downloaded 2 billion times in the App store and Google Play. Users spend an average of 52 minutes every day, and 90% of TikTok users access the app daily. There was an average number of more than 1 million videos viewed every day in a year. To some people these stats seem normal, and to some they mean a lot. Numbers play a huge role when it comes to influence, seeing as 90 percent of the users look at the app every single day, and the average time spent on the app globally is 52 minutes, which can change depending on the person (someone might view it for 10 minutes, another for 7 hours). This is undeniably big, very big.
Tik tok on the app store
Positive Impact:
TikTok undeniably serves as a great source of entertainment, with funny and relatable content, or eye-pleasing, satisfying videos. Additionally, this app has given the chance for anyone to be famous, which isn’t always a good thing, but if you have to look at it a certain way this wasn’t common before in other apps. Compared to other social media apps, TikTok is the easiest to become viral, and to receive thousands or even millions of likes, follows, and comments.
The app is very engaging. You can also discover new non-profits and clubs to join, as well as new hobbies and activities to try out. Not only that, but useful information that is advantageous to know, and tips you might need in the future. Also, food recipes, clothing and hair inspiration, bucket list ideas, locations to travel to, and many more. These are all things that can be very beneficial for us.
The Negative Impact
The statistics provided above support the fact that with millions of users constantly viewing and posting videos, anyone can see anything. You can post a video and get negative and inappropriate comments, or you can view a video that is inappropriate and unpleasant. Posting something can easily lead to being made fun of, getting verbally harassed, and being stuck in situations that are going to stick with you forever. Although the app is 13+, many children under the age of 13 use TikTok, and many are addicted. That being said, children are easily being exposed to such videos and comments. This is negatively affecting children’s development and their mental health, and rather than doing what would be beneficial to them at such an age, they are being exposed to matters that are not meant for their age. It is also not safe, as it would be silly to assume that the almost 1 billion users of TikTok are composed of all good people. Tricia Cuthbertson has seen her daughter’s friend download the app onto her daughter’s phone to post some videos of the two of them. “In the matter of an hour, she had 20 followers, all men, and they were starting to make inappropriate comments.”
Well, this isn’t quite the app’s fault. Children under 13 are not supposed to be on the app in the first place and their parents should monitor their children's behaviour. TikTok could try taking down all inappropriate videos and comments, but this has not happened. It’s not always possible for the wrong things to find the right hands.
With an algorithm designed to show you videos that you’re interested in, the “for you page” can keep you on the app for hours, which is what makes TikTok so addictive. The app’s addiction has become a major problem amongst teenagers and even young adults, causing them to constantly view social media, trends, and disassociate themselves from the real world. The inability to know what’s important and what’s not, what really matters and what doesn’t. You’re constantly viewing a social media app that has its own world, own people, and strangers you don’t know. With the constant influx of trends, new beauty standards are also becoming established. As a user of the app, I can say how many beauty trends have happened that caused so many people to have developed many new insecurities.The problem is that these insecurities don’t really matter in the real world.
The only possible way to control this would be to limit your social media usage, or take a break. It’s completely normal for you to be addicted to social media during this time, and for you to feel unmotivated to do anything else. The coronavirus pandemic has affected everyone. You don’t need to take big steps or completely change your life overnight, because that’s impossible. Taking small steps and even committing to some type of change in your life is a great way to start.
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