TikTok has completely turned our modern culture and society on its head, perhaps subliminally, but indefinitely. The quick-take, video-sharing app has taken the country, the world, by storm with over 2 billion downloads, the most downloaded application on the Apple App Store (Mohsin). Users must add a sound to their video (up to 60 seconds) and post onto their profile, with hopes of reaching other users’ For You pages. The For You Page serves as the connection between users, based on an algorithm planned to match the interests of the users and the video.
TikTok has infiltrated the music industry, especially as the Billboard charts have begun to place further importance on online streaming into deciding the top hits (Deahl). Since users must pick a sound, new music is shared throughout the app. These songs are the backgrounds for dances, point-of-view type videos, and challenges that spread on that app. In fact, the current Billboard Top 100 chart consists of at least 28 songs that grew in popularity on TikTok. This feature is also very helpful to unsigned artists and those just beginning — there is no restriction on who can upload a sound.
Perhaps negatively, TikTok has affected its users’ attention spans. As of July, 2020, TikTok users spend an average of 52 minutes per day on the app (Mohsin). As mentioned earlier, each video can reach up to 60 seconds. This means that the average user will, at maximum, watch 52 videos a day. The time spent from these videos is nearly equivalent to that of my 9:00-9:50am Microeconomics class in my freshman year. If teens and young adults can receive up to 52 bites of communication, what would stop them from paying attention to 1 bite of communication in the same length of time? Not only this, but if a video doesn’t immediately capture a user’s attention, they can easily swipe to the next. This showcases the grip that only a few seconds truly has on our culture today.
Finally, I would like to point other positive effects of TikTok on our culture. TikTok is an application with the pooled knowledge of students, teachers, scientists, doctors, lawyers, etc. The app is truly a breeding ground of knowledge and information. Of course this comes with the need for user caution, but this allows for accessible information all across the globe. Many personal experiences of racial injustice, sexual offenses, and inaccessibility, have been amplified through the app. Not only this, but common myths are dispelled and proven by those qualified to do so. TikTok may be another app that will lose its spark in the coming years, but perhaps the effects it has had on our society will be long-lasting.