By Isabella Burnette
Everyone knows the app that blew up social media in only six months. Teenagers can’t go to school without hearing a reference from it, and adults watch their teens shoot videos of themselves doing dances for hours. TikTok is an app that allows users to make and share videos, and since becoming the most downloaded app of 2018, TikTok has had a huge impact on social media.
Most people have downloaded TikTok at one point or another whether they want to admit it or not. The app consists of two types of users: the people that take pride and brag about getting 100 likes per video, and those who secretly watch for hours admirably. The people(freshmen) that take great honor in their posts upload them on all their other social media accounts. This causes a domino effect making their followers go to the TikTok app and also spend hours at a time watching people they don’t know lip-sync.
Some ask why TikTok is so addictive, and it is a mystery that may never be solved. It could be the desire to see what’s currently “in” or to learn about ideas and people from 154 different countries. Maybe, it’s just the humorous sight of people trying too hard to become famous. Users spend hours scrolling down the “For You” page watching people “dance” or talk to their phones as if they’re alive. In addition, some spend hours trying to perfect a video, so they have a slight chance of making it big.
Have you ever heard the term “and I-oop” or “sksks?” If so, you have crossed paths with a “VSCO girl.” A VSCO girl is a term originated from TikTok that describes a girl that wears large t-shirts, scrunchies, and owns several hydro flask(esks). This term is not only used on TikTok now, but it has evolved to Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and the conversation of high school girls. This is just one example of the many “memes” TikTok has created, along with the songs “Old Town Road,” “Oh Nanana,”, and “Hey Julie.”
TikTok’s a fun app to go on to pass time when you’re bored, but for some people, TikTok is more than that. It’s a job. Select people have so many followers on TikTok that they actually get paid. These people are called “TikTok famous.” They make money by advertising for companies just like every other social media site. Who knew it was that easy to become “famous?” By lip syncing to some audio and doing some silly dance, you could make bank. TikTok has not only changed social media, but it has changed the lives of many people by putting them in the spotlight.
God help us if TikTok is here to stay; but it is still truly amazing how much one app could affect the culture of teens and social media all over the world.
