Let's be honest, we all spend far too much time on social media. Whether it's keeping up with the Kardashians on Instagram or checking in on what your favourite influencer is eating for breakfast on Snapchat, we can all admit that we're guilty of spending a little (or a lot) of time scrolling through our various feeds. But there's a new kid on the block that's quickly gaining popularity, and its name is TikTok.
TikTok is a short-form, video-sharing app that allows users to create and share 15-second videos, on any topic. Think of it as the love child of Vine and YouTube. And people are eating it up—TikTok has been downloaded more than 1 billion times and has an estimated 500 million active users. So, what is it about TikTok that has everyone talking? Let's take a closer look.
The Good
There's no doubt that TikTok has some serious advantages over other social media platforms. Firstly, unlike platforms like Instagram and Facebook, which are primarily visual, TikTok is all about sound. This means that you can scroll through your feed without having to worry about missing anything important (like those pesky mute videos on IG).
Another plus is that TikTok videos are short and sweet—15 seconds is the perfect attention span for anyone with an attention deficit (i.e. most of us). And if you find a user who you enjoy, you can follow them and see their new videos in your feed as they're posted. This curation feature ensures that you're only seeing content from creators that you want to watch, as opposed to the algorithmically generated content on other platforms.
The Bad
Of course, nothing is perfect—and TikTok is no exception. One of the biggest complaints about the platform is that it's extremely addictive. Once you start watching one video, it's almost impossible to stop. And let's be real, we could all stand to spend a little less time on our phones.
Another drawback of TikTok is that because it relies heavily on sound, many users find themselves forced to use headphones in public places (not ideal). And if you don't want to use headphones, you run the risk of embarrassing yourself by having the audio blast out for everyone around you to hear (been there, done that).
Some users have also complained about feeling "left out" because they don't have access to certain features (like duets) unless they have a certain number of followers. This can make growing your following feel like a bit of a Catch-22—but more on that later.
Conclusion:
To sum things up: yes, TikTok is pretty great... but it also has its fair share of cons. So should you jump on the bandwagon and start posting videos? That's for you to decide. Just be warned—once you start using TikTok, it's hard to stop.
