TikTok: The New Sweeping Social Media Trend

Okay, before you exit out of the page because you think TikTok is a piece of no-good, millennial-obsessed trash, just give me a chance. I too thought the new sweeping social media trend was a waste of time until I gave it a chance…now I’m hooked. (sorry, not sorry).

For anyone completely unfamiliar with TikTok, it is an app to make and share short videos. For those of you who remember the days of Vine, it is kind of similar. Content within the videos can be literally anything. I’ve seen everything from hair tutorials, to Chick-Fil-A hacks, to dogs in scrunchies, and plenty of viral challenges. Tik Tok is a social media platform like none other and there are plenty of logical reasons why people can’t stop talking about it.

Reasons Why TikTok is taking over the nation:

1.You don’t have to follow anyone to get content

Tik Tok is a revolutionary type of social media because it does not require you to follow anyone or to be followed. When you create an account and open the app for the first time, you instantly have endless content to view. On Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook you have to follow friends, family or influencers to fill your feed. TikTok is not intended for friends to follow friends. Its purpose is to keep up with all things trending. So it doesn’t matter if you have zero followers or four million, every person from all sides of the earth can be connected.

2. It keeps users engaged (like ignoring the world for hours type of engaged)

Videos within the app are typically 15 seconds or shorter and intended to be put to music, either by lip-syncing, dancing or participating in a viral challenge. Videos are lighthearted and funny so it’s easy to be addicted to something when you cannot stop laughing. With our attention spans getting shorter and shorter each day, quick videos like this are easy for us millennials to buy in to. Plus, the videos are very interactive and personable so it’s easy to build connections and followings with captivating and relatable videos. For example, I love to watch @kyra_gallego’s videos on Sephora hacks. She is a Sephora employee about 20-something years old and each week posts a minute-long video of her standing in her bathroom mirror spilling a bunch of tips and tricks to shopping at Sephora. I have never met her, don’t even know her name but yet would consider her a very credible source and might actually call her and ask her opinion next time I want to buy mascara.

3. It integrates with other social media apps

This is huge!!! Think about it, whenever you see something funny what do you want to do? Show it to someone! TikTok integrates easily with Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. You can tweet TikTok videos to all of your followers, post them on your Insta story or you can send videos to select friends via snapchat. If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it even make a noise? Is the #putitinabun challenge even funny if I don’t show my best friend?

4. It was basically designed for millennials (like me)

Okay, so a few millennial stereotypes might be correct. We do have short attention spans, require massive amounts of content consumption to stay engaged and we need a very efficient user interface. A good ground rule when app designing for millennials: users must be able to navigate through the app on the iPhone XXXL using just their thumb (right or left). This is exactly why we love TikTok because to use the app, all we need to do is scroll up/down/left/right and double-tap anywhere on the screen. Very simple. Very efficient and able to be done while multi-tasking. Perfect for our kind.

5. It is endless, upbeat content!

TikTok is an endless collection of rabbit holes. Users can swipe from video to video and never ever run out of content or be “up to date” (@instagram). The app’s built-in algorithm is constantly suggesting videos based on your history and likes. Plus, it suggests top videos from all over the world, so there is plenty of content to consume. The app is fantastic because it is basically guaranteed to put you in a good mood with hysterical videos. You no longer have to go onto twitter and read another tweet about Becky still being sad and single or see how Gina’s new fad diet is going on her 4-hour long Insta story. Sick of frustrating social media? Turn. To. Tik. Tok.

Now go download…at your own risk.