TikTok made me fall in love with social media again
I am no stranger to social media. I was there when platforms like MySpace and Friendster were launched, and when Facebook used to be limited to colleges in the US, and when the iPhone wasn’t even launched yet. So to say that social media has gotten a bit tiring is an understatement, but that changed when I discovered TikTok.
TikTok was around for a while before I truly dived into it. Like most modern apps, its UI felt like it was catered to people half my age, which was one of the reasons I stayed away, but the more I used it, the more I could understand its appeal and that has made me fall in love with social media all over again (this isn’t a paid or sponsored post).
@goodboy.noah First time feeling the touch of Ladyfingers #tiramisu #ayocheetah #rnb
One of the main things that makes TikTok fun is that it feels less narcissistic. There are considerably fewer posts of people showing off their lavish lifestyles and “flexing” and more about creators actually creating fun and entertaining videos. In a way, it reminds me of Vine where people would come up with creative ways of making fun videos in whatever amount of time they had.
TikTok is also the king of discoverability. A lot of celebrities and bands use TikTok to create their own “challenges”, which has led to me discovering new songs and artists that I might not have discovered otherwise. Streaming platforms like Netflix have also used it to show small snippets of shows in their library, cherry-picking the best scenes that then make me want to watch them.
In this day and age where our attention spans have gotten a lot shorter, these short-form videos have done more for my own personal discoverability than any other platform has, which is largely thanks to TikTok’s algorithm.
@le_sserafim ❄️Boom boom boom🐯 with #aespa #WINTER #LE_SSERAFIM #르세라핌 #KIMCHAEWON #김채원 #UNFORGIVEN #이브_프시케_그리고_푸른수염의아내 #Eve_Psyche_and_The_Bluebeardswife @aespa official
TikTok’s algorithm is famous for anticipating things you might be interested in. This is based on videos you watch and videos you skip, which means that it is dynamic and constantly shifting. Find yourself watching a lot of K-pop videos? Chances are the next several videos you see in your feed will be K-pop related.
I also like the fact that TikTok separates its feed from the “For You” feed to people you actually follow, which makes it easier to separate content depending on your mood. This is unlike Facebook and Instagram where they try to act like they know what’s best for you.
That being said, this doesn’t mean that TikTok isn’t the perfect platform. Like many of its competitors, TikTok has a problem with things like copyright, misinformation, and more. Not to mention after checking my screen time, it’s kind of disturbing how many hours I spend a day endlessly scrolling through TikTok’s feed.
But if you’re sick and tired of seeing the same things in your Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter feeds, then maybe it might be time to give TikTok a chance if you haven’t done so already.