By Arianna Fernandez '21 and Jeslyn Nair '21
Over the summer, TikTok has taken over what feels like a majority of teens’ lives. Before school students create videos with each other, trying to get “TikTok famous.” The silly words and repetitive, viral dances born from the app have become something that everyone knows about.
If you don’t have the app or know anything about TikTok, then you must be wondering what we’re talking about. We’re sure you’ve heard about Peppa Pig, VSCO Girls, and Eboys as you’ve walked down the halls, and you probably even went home to Google it: What is TikTok and why is it so important? Maybe you even downloaded the app, tried it, and deleted it more confused than ever. Maybe you kept it and ended up becoming obsessed. You may end up using it for hours when you should be doing your homework.
Well here’s your answer. TikTok is a social media video app for creating and sharing short videos. It’s almost as if Vine and Musical.ly had a child. It’s free entertainment that users can get stuck on for hours, and TikToks are fun to make.
Most of the time, the content on your “For You” page can be just too relatable to put down. If you spend enough time on the app, you’ll understand the jokes better. Users can duet their friends (creating a video side-by-side with your friend’s) or famous people they watch. They can also interact with other TikTokers by going on their lives (live streams) and get noticed. If you are a fan of a TikToker, you can join their livestream and send them gifts and/or comments to try and get them to follow you back.
In addition to all the jokes and repetitive/easy dances on there, you can also learn a few things from the community. Although TikTok can’t be considered the most reliable source for historical information, there are a few trends where creators will tap into things they’ve learned in school. For example, a while ago there was a trend in which people “traveled back in time” and spoiled the future to those in the past.
Some people even take to TikTok asking for advice in their videos and receiving responses in the form of duets and/or comments. Sometimes you’ll learn a few things on the app without even realizing it. You can also be extremely lucky--if you’re funny and relatable enough, of course--to become “TikTok famous.” Hey, if Chase Hudson can become a famous TikToker without any actual talents, then anyone can.
Overall, TikTok is an app where you can follow trends, or possibly even start your own.