TikTok, the social media video platform that is always on the rise, with over a billion active users, has managed to consume teens day to day life. It practically has become a step in their everyday routine. In fact it has become so trendy that parents, teachers, doctors, and many others are on the app as well. We’re here to tell you things to consider if you have the app or if you are thinking about downloading it. 

Cons

It’s Addictive

Like any other social media platform, TikTok is highly addictive and consumes a great amount of time. The 15 second videos, without notice, merge into long hours. Out of 122 students in CHS, 54% of them watch TikToks before they have the chance to get out of bed in the mornings and 30% of them even watch TikToks while they brush their teeth, a task that takes no longer than 2 minutes. TikTok is formatted in a way where the scrolling is endless, there will never be a moment when new videos won’t appear. Not only that but TikTok tracks how you interact with different content, thus creating a unique and personalized for you page that differs from user to user. So now you aren’t only provided with a never ending amount of videos, it is also tailored to your specific likes, hobbies, interests, etc. The number one reason that TikTok has managed to gain such immense popularity is because it was created to captivate the user from the moment they login. 

Privacy Concerns

Something that has been talked about quite extensively in the past regarding TikTok is the security of the app. TikTok has faced scrutiny and criticism over its data collection and its relationship with the Chinese government. Users have been concerned about their personal data being shared with third parties and possibly the government. A rumor that made a lot of noise and was worrisome for many was that TikTok allegedly posted users’ drafts, videos that are supposed to be only visible to the user, without their consent. This rumor goes back as far as 2020 and persists to come up from time to time. However, this allegation has yet to be proven. Going back to what was mentioned before, TikTok caters everything to a user’s liking, and in order to do so it tracks the users’ interaction with the app. The app begins to collect data the very instance one makes an account. It tracks your search history, websites you browse, and videos you like, all of which are done within the app. 

Inappropriate Content 

The TikTok app which was originally musically, an app for kids and teens to lip sync, has turned into a social platform where parents aren’t sure if their kids should be on the app. Musically used to be an app solely that relied on transitions and hand movements that matched the lyrics of the song. Musically was an innocent app safe for kids to use. However, the app began to change once it was changed to TikTok. TikTok has a wide range of content, and not all of it may be suitable for all audiences. Some content may contain language or themes that are inappropriate for younger users, and may be disturbing or even offensive to some viewers. It is important for users to be aware of this and to use the platform responsibly. On the app store you would see that TikTok is meant for 12 year olds and above. But this isn’t to say that users younger than the permitted age aren’t on the app. And while TikTok has created a family pairing option where a parent can set various limits on the child’s account, none of these limits regard the content that the child is exposed to.TikTok, as mentioned above, houses a bunch of different public videos, content that may be quite disturbing not just to children but to practically anyone. Content as such, ranges from animal abuse, to people’s fascination with murderers to many more repulsive ideas. Due to the many users on the app, TikTok isn’t able to go through and sift through the many TikToks and censor them. So not only is TikTok not suitable for children, it’s becoming a negative space for any user of the app. 

Cyberbullying 

As with any online platform, with TikTok comes the risk of cyberbullying and other forms of online harassment. Users can be targeted with hurtful comments,messages, or even videos. According to Security.org, kids using TikTok have a 64% chance of experiencing cyberbullying. Cyberbullying can have a highly negative impact on a person, causing anxiety, depression, and in severe cases may even lead to suicide. 

Pros

Provides Good Advice

Have a question regarding style, beauty, relationships, etc.? Just ask TikTok! Just like using google, you can type any question into the search bar and a million responses will show up. However, TikTok is different in that, rather than seeing written out responses like in web browsers, TikTok provides an easier way to see reviews and to see a person’s genuine reaction/feelings towards a certain product or topic. Not only that, but TikTok is full of different types of people with different types of occupations and you can therefore find lots of help and advice from people with different jobs and perspectives. For example, if you are looking for makeup advice, there are many makeup professionals that post advice videos and tutorials for you. So whenever you want to know people’s opinions on mostly anything, you can rely on Tikok to give you good advice.

Great Way of Reaching Small Businesses

With millions of users on TikTok, thousands and thousands include small businesses with all different types of products. TikTok is a great way to advertise small businesses so that they can reach their target audience. Not only does TikTok let you discover new businesses but it also lets you interact with them. For example, with the Q&A feature, you can ask them questions which they can answer with a video and you will get notified when it is posted. Aside from that, accounts can go live so you could further interact with them. TikTok is great for finding good and affordable products, and there is always something for everyone.

Educational (school/safety)

TikTok also provides a good amount of education on whatever subject or topic you need help with. Users can search up whatever they need help with and plenty of online tutors show up. On their pages they usually have a wide variety of videos that give you the information you need, and from experience we can verify that most of these videos are extremely helpful. But this isn’t only talking about school education, there are many accounts on TikTok that tell you what to do in dangerous situations, such as getting approached by strangers, online trafficking,  etc. Yes, people are educated on safety every once in a while at home or at school, but these TikToks are great at serving as extra reminders.

Good Talent Display

TikTok is a great platform for those wanting a chance to showcase their talents. Whether it’s sports, art, hidden talents, etc., there is always someone out there who is interested in seeing your talent. Through the use of hashtags, TikTok makes it really easy to reach an audience that is likely to be interested in the content you post. For example, if you want to show off your sport skills/highlights, there are many sports recruiters on TikTok that are looking for talent. By using hashtags such as #athlete, #Sports, #recruit, etc., it is a lot easier to reach those recruiters and people who share the same interests as you. If you’re looking to showcase your talents, TikTok is a good app for doing that.

After reading about the pros and cons of TikTok, you should reconsider your opinions on the app and what you do on the app.