I’ve always been one of those annoying people who tries to reject “mainstream” culture and media. Things that were “mainstream” weren’t cool in my opinion, they were just basic. I hated One Direction throughout middle school because they were simply too popular for my taste. I rather sheepishly decided that One Direction was a good band when I was a junior in high school, after discovering the beauty that is the Made in the A.M album. So what I’m saying is that I often disregard quality media because I think I won’t like it. And Tik Tok was no exception for my incredibly high standards.
I’ll be completely honest, I used to think that Tik Tok was ridiculously stupid. My roommate would constantly send me Tik Toks and I would constantly ignore them. After much pestering from her, I finally downloaded the app. And just like what people said would happen, I became addicted. In a way, Tik Tok is like the new Vine. Its wide variety of comedic videos makes it an incredibly entertaining app to spend time on. It’s easy to become absorbed and scroll for hours until you notice how late it is. I can’t count the number of times that I’ve been on Tik Tok and realized that it’s 2 in the morning.
I need to start reminding myself that “mainstream” things aren’t bad. I mean, they’re popular for a reason, aren’t they? I tend to be skeptical of things before I try them and this is an attitude that I’m working to change in 2020. It’s important to try new things, even if you don’t think you’ll like them. I hated the idea of Tik Tok until I finally gave in and downloaded the app. After downloading it, I came to realize how creative of a platform Tik Tok. Singers, dancers, even comedians use this app to show off their creativity. Talented people post amazing art videos that blow me away. There are Tik Toks about literally everything, and that’s what makes it so great, there’s a place for everyone. Though I certainly won’t be creating content anytime soon, I’ve come to fully appreciate Tik Tok and how it helps people make a name for themselves.