TikTok is an app that allows people to create 15-second to 3-minute videos and share them with the world. The app was launched in 2016 by Chinese technology company ByteDance. Now available in more than 150 different markets, TikTok has offices in Beijing, Los Angeles, Moscow, Mumbai, Seoul, and Tokyo. TikTok was once called “Musically” which was similar, but was targeted towards teens. Many older people are using Tiktok to share funny skits, recipes, relatable jokes, and so on. It has achieved a high rating on the Google Play Store because of the countless number of people who across the world who love it. The app also allows users who have lots of followers to go live with their followers, who can send them virtual “gifts”. The top live users are ranked each week and are given monetary prizes based on the amount of “gifts” they receive. 

Even though Tiktok is one of the most popular apps on the market and is extremely entertaining, its users scroll on the platform for hours rather than being social and many users are dependent on the app. This app is also starting to become a place for people to harass each other. Many parents are worried that giving this app to children will give them access to sexual and uncensored content, and there is no way to know what they are seeing. If kids are making a video they can hide comments and create private accounts that their parents may not be able to see. Whereas most social media platforms ask you to create a list of content you are interested in or offer you accounts to follow, TikTok simply launches you over the waterfall of content.

There are two pages on Tiktok: the “Following Page” which contains all the content your favorite creators make, and the “For You Page” which displays targeted content based on your interest. TikTok generated an estimated $1.9 billion revenue in 2020, a 457% increase year on year. TikTok had 837 million monthly active users at the beginning of 2020 and is expected to reach 1 billion by the end of this year. TikTok is accessed by over 600 million users daily, and TikTok has been downloaded over three billion times

Personally, I think it is an app that helps pass a lot of time, but there are lots of pros and cons. The more you watch it the more addicted you become. This app can really distract you from important things and keep you from being in the moment. It can teach you a lot, but there are plenty of things young kids shouldn’t be learning. Many young people, especially young girls, are comparing themselves to others on this app, and body shaming is becoming a huge issue.

Overall this app is entertaining, but also very addicting. It’s hard to stop once you start. Many users who download this app tend to delete it after a week due to how addicting it can be. Many parents have no control over what their children see on this app since all content directing is based on algorithms. I would recommend this app to people who will be aware of its flaws and try to maintain friendly and helpful decorum. If you know you’ll get addicted to apps easily, I obviously wouldn’t recommend TikTok. Other than that, TikTok is fun and can help you connect with lots of people. I don’t think it should be banned, but I do feel age restrictions should be better enforced.