Look, if you’re here and reading this, it’s most likely because you are a Tik Tok addict. And if that is not the case, I can assure you that if you start using Tik Tok, you will VERY quickly become addicted. For those of you who aren’t super familiar with Tik Tok, first of all, I’m pretty worried. But, to give a bit of an idea on what it is, it is basically just another video-sharing social media platform and is the “second coming” of the previous short and witty app known as Vine.
Now that we have the base knowledge out of the way, let’s get to the real points of this article…. Tik Tok is ruining my life. In saying that, I do also have to admit and acknowledge the fact that I continue to use it avidly, and most of the time I enjoy it. Basically, I am here to talk about some of the pros and cons or the good and bad about Tik Tok. Let’s just work our way from the bottom to the top:
- Insecurity
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As a college student, we are at this weird point where we aren’t necessarily old yet, but we also aren’t a part of the young crowd anymore. Tik Tok is filled with tons of tweens and teens who have hundreds of thousands or even millions of followers and are doing huge things and making large amounts of money. This can be super frustrating because we are sitting over here with our noses shoved in a textbook and six dollars in our bank account.
- Taking up Time
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Let’s face it, Tik Tok is essentially like a black hole, or the bermuda triangle if you will. It is like the Target of social media platforms. You go in looking for one thing, or to watch one video, and then you look at the time and it has been two hours. It is truly dangerous.
- Feeling Old
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As I discussed with insecurity, this app is absolutely filled with young kids. The prime user is probably between the ages of 13 and 17. College is just a weird time where most of us still feel like juniors in high school. It is hard to look at a group of people and feel like SUCH an outcast because of your age. Being 21 doesn’t feel that old, but when you start watching videos of 15-year-olds that have two million views, you feel absolutely ancient, let me tell you.
- Comedy Gold
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Although the app makes me feel old and uncultured, I can 100% say that it makes me laugh. I am one of those people who will read or watch something and think it is funny, but I won’t actually laugh out loud. I just think to myself, “wow, that is funny”. But, with Tik Tok, that is not the case. When I tell you Tik Tok makes me laugh out loud, even to the point of wheezing, I mean it.
- Learning
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I bet you never thought you would see the words learning or education in an article about Tik Tok. But, if we are being completely honest, I have learned some useful things from the app. The demographics of Tik Tok content creators and users span SO far and wide. There are literal doctors, personal trainers, authors, celebrities, and just the average Joe. I have found super useful information on recipes, workouts, life hacks, and so much more. As much as it is weird to admit it, people on Tik Tok have a lot to offer and most likely you will learn something too.
- Creativity
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This last positive thing about Tik Tok is one that is pretty general or obvious, but that is that Tik Tok is a place for self-expression and creativity. There are TONS of singers, dancers, artists, and makeup artists that have gained huge followings and been able to showcase their talents. Like any other social media platform, Tik Tok allows you to do this and gives you the chance to go viral in a matter of seconds.
These are just a couple of the ways that Tik Tok is ruining my life and making it better. Go on your phone, download Tik Tok, and get to watching – just be aware of gen z “F-Boys”.
(P.S. Vine is still better than Tik Tok. I said what I said and I meant it.)