I first came across TikTok from cross postings of people leaping out of their moving cars and dancing alongside the vehicle as the driver filmed them for less than a minute. Now, videos can vary in length from 15 seconds to 10 minutes.
This appealed to me in different ways. The dancing was good and very entertaining. It became more fun as the driver would slam on the brakes without warning, flipping the dancer over the car.
The fact it was a video, my favorite medium, was short, appealing to my squirrel brain, and funny in an old school, AFV way, making it my gateway to social media addiction.
TikTok is a social media app that has become insanely popular recently. It’s a video-sharing app that has taken the world by storm. It was created by the Chinese company ByteDance and had over 100 million active daily users.
The idea behind TikTok is that people can upload short clips of themselves doing anything they want – singing, dancing, or just talking about their day – and get instant feedback from other TikTok users worldwide. With a simple button tap, you can see how many likes your content has received from other TikTok users and comments on your video from people who have watched it. The app has been criticized for its addictive nature, but the company has taken some steps to make it less addictive. I’d suggest you read that last line with a grain of salt since “Oh no, we need to tone down the addictive nature of our popular, money-making app” seems unlikely.
I’ve seen the app evolve over the past couple of years. I see more artists, singers, and comedians use the app as a starting showcase for their talent. I’ve also seen way too many psychics, beauty product peddlers and some very depressing posts from people who look like they are being held hostage, deer-in-the-headlights look, with nothing in particular to say. Of course, cyberbullying is present, feuds are started and sustained, and it isn’t all fun and games. Too much involvement in this platform and becoming too invested in the words of strangers can lead to depression.
I discovered mamatot99, a fantastic woman whose goal in life seems to be uplifting the spirits of everyone around her, despite the hell of a year she just went through. 5minutekris makes several impressions of kids and adults, she is funny and beautiful, and her physical comedy is impressive. dylanmulvaney is a new That Girl, chronicling her journey as a transwoman, and one of my absolute favorites is mammybanter, a Derry woman with a beautiful accent and hysterical skits.
Creators can go live with a link from their main post. They are hit-and-miss. Some people are in dire financial straits, attempting to garner some income from viewers.
So, I spend way too much time on TikTok, but I’m enjoying the show and have discovered artists and entertaining people worldwide. You can find a plethora of celebrities and any subject or lifestyle you are interested in. Just set a timer, or expect to lose writing time.