If you’re “old” to remember the song “TiK ToK”, released by American singer Kesha in 2009, it means that you’re still not old enough to not know what the TikTok app, on which all cool teens and slightly older people are present today, is all about. However, if you’re one of those who don’t know what it is, here’s our guide to the world of TikTok application: what is it, who’s on it and why do you have to download it TODAY.
What’s TikTok?
The app was launched back in April 2014, under the name Musical.ly and after the Chinese company ByteDance purchased the app, TikTok was born in August 2018. It’s definitely one of the fastest-growing apps on the planet. A research from Betway shows it in the best way: it’s the 7th most popular social media in the world, having over 800 million active users and “beating” social networks that came to light years before TikTok, such as Snapchat (382 million) and Twitter (340 million).
TikTok is known for its short video clips in which people lip-sync, meaning sing with playback, participate in various challenges (remember the “mannequin challenge” in which the whole world participated) and thanks to the impact it has on young people, many musicians are successful in music lists because of this application.
What’s The Purpose Of TikTok?
Although at first, it was used to lip-sync with favorite songs, TikTok videos have evolved in many different directions. As soon as you create an account, your feed will be filled with a wide variety of videos from all walks of life: from dance, through gymnasts to comedians. They are all connected by some kind of audio recording – a song or voice, a clip from a TV show, commercials and the like, and – you choose them from the audio gallery.
Like other social networks, you can apply various filters, leave (and get) comments and likes, and – there are influencers… because they are inevitable, right?
What’s A TikTok Challenge?
Do you remember the Facebook challenge, like the one with the ice bucket (Ice Bucket Challenge)? Basically, every challenge on TikTok consists of a specific movement, dance, or mimicry that someone needs to do with a specific song. More often ordinary users, but also celebrities, participate in it, which is why they are often a topic that the media write about.
One of the most popular TikTok challenges is the Emoji Challenge, where users were required to create facial expressions like the emoji they were given as an assignment in 15 seconds.
Why’s TikTok A Story?
TikTok has been relatively popular for years, but it only experienced real expansion last year – primarily because of various challenges, but also because of hip hop star Lil Nas X. His single “Old Town Road” went viral thanks to mime on TikTok and the song then ended at the top of Billboard’s “The Hot 100 Chart” and “Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart”.
Who Are TikTok Stars?
Just as Vine, YouTube, and Instagram have built influencers and stars with millions of followers, the same situation is with tiktokers. Among the biggest stars on this network are Baby Ariel, Jacob Sartorius, Loren Gray, twins Lisa and Lena (generally, all twins ever), Mackenzie Zigler, The Hype House…
Celebrities like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson are among the millions of people downloading the app to take part in dance crazes and challenges.
