There’s a section of the internet that is home to viral dance trends, animal videos, comedians, tutorials and memes all wrapped into bite sized video clips, and it is capturing the attention of billions of people.
The video-sharing app, TikTok, launched in 2016 has now been downloaded over 1.9 billion times worldwide, according to Sensor Tower. Many see TikTok as the perfect cure for the social distancing blues.
With its user-friendly special effects, video heavy content and zany nature, TikTok lends itself to creativity. The social media platform allows users to create artistic, funny or off-the-wall content. The only stipulation — the videos must be one minute or less.
Because of its huge popularity, there is an almost constant stream of new content on the app. Emma Gibbons, a University of Idaho first year student, said she appreciates TikTok’s addictive and time-consuming nature.
“I think TikTok is popular because there’s so much continuous content.,” Gibbons said. “With other apps, you scroll through until you get to old content. With TikTok, there’s no old content.”
Like Gibbons, some TikTok users visit the app for hours to watch funny or relatable videos. Other users, however, have used the app as a catapult to internet stardom.
Jill Sejd, a 16-year-old from Boise, Idaho, is one of these TikTok stars. Sejd has 1.2 million followers on the app. She unexpectedly found herself going viral after the first TikTok video she posted, which currently has 12.2 million views. The video, posted in November 2019, is a minute-long cake making tutorial that Sejd narrates.
Sejd said she posted her first video partially as a joke and was surprised by its success.
“I just got (TikTok) originally kind of as a joke,” Sejd said. “No one at the time actually took TikTok seriously. I thought, ‘I’m just going to make a video and see what happens.’ And then, somehow, I got a couple million views.”
A possible reason that Sejd’s cake videos took off is their originality. In an app that is swamped with dance trends and observational comedy, her cake videos stand out. Sejd has a talent for baking, and her funny, relatable narration helps her videos stand out from others.
Sejd said the key to going viral on TikTok is deviating from the pack.
“Make something new that hasn’t been done before.,” Sejd said. “A lot of times on TikTok I see people just like following the trend, repeating the same trend over and over. I feel like you have to do something innovative.”
Having over a million followers on TikTok comes with perks. Sejd said she has been recognized by TikTok viewers in grocery stores and companies have reached out to her about monetizing her videos.
This massive following has also posed Sejd with challenges. She said her audience is largely comprised of tween girls. She feels she needs to set a good example for this impressionable group.
“Honestly, there’s a lot of responsibility because they’re all like, ‘I’ll do whatever you tell me to,’” Sejd said. “I try to be careful to keep everything family friendly.”
Sejd said the app’s personal nature and short videos could be the reason it is so popular.
“(TikTok) is just so entertaining and addicting,” she said. “I feel like I see people being more themselves on TikTok than on Instagram. Plus, people have short attention spans. (TikTok allows) only one-minute long videos. It’s easier to watch for a lot of people.”
There’s no right or wrong way to use TikTok, but one thing can be certain—it’s an easy way to waste time. With so many people stuck inside lately, it’s no wonder the app has gained so much popularity.
Savanna Estey can be reached at [email protected]u.