The social media landscape is constantly changing and one app that is currently proving hugely popular is TikTok which has 800 million monthly active users.
What exactly is TikTok?
TikTok is a social media network accessed through a free app which lets the user watch, create and share videos, all from their phone. Similar to short-form video hosting site Vine, users can create short, often shareable videos which allows them to connect with friends and strangers from around the world through likes and comments.
How did TikTok come about?
TikTok was initially launched in 2014 under the name Musical.ly by Chinese entrepreneurs. The app was then acquired by Beijing-based tech company ByteDance who already owned a similar app called TikTok. Both apps were popular but in different parts of the world. In Europe and the Americas, Musical.ly had 100 million monthly users while TikTok was much more popular in Asia with 500 million users.
ByteDance decide to combine the two apps for more efficiency and so TikTok absorbed Musical.ly in August 2018, with all user accounts and videos from Musical.ly moving to Tik Tok.
How do I use TikTok?
After signing up with a phone number, email address or via another social media account, you can then search categories, creators and hashtags (a word or phrase preceded by a hash sign) to find videos to watch. You can also use your phone contacts or social media followers to discover friends of yours who are also on TikTok.
What do people post on TikTok?
Many users use TikTok to record videos of themselves doing comedy sketches or lip-synching and dancing to popular music. There’s no rule book though, it’s a space to be creative.
While using the app, you may notice quite a few of the videos seem to be very similar. Known as challenges, this is a current craze on TikTok where an idea goes viral. This might be in the form of a song, activity or dance which then goes on to trend and get copied by hundreds of users.
Who uses TikTok?
Users are required to be 13 years old to use TikTok, with anyone under the age of 18 needing the approval of a parent or guardian.
It’s worth remembering that many people use TikTok not to create videos but simply to watch them.
While 41 per cent of TikTok users are believed to be between the ages of 16 and 24, many people from an older demographic have also been enjoying the app too.
In fact, according to a report published by Statista in February 2020, 19.4 percent of TikTok users are ages 40-50+
How can I make my TikTok account private?
To make your account private, go onto your profile page, select the three-dot icon in the top right hand corner and select Privacy and Safety. Here, you can toggle the switch for ‘Private Account.’ Here you are also able to control who can send you comments and direct messages.