TikTok (also known as Douyin) was initially introduced in September 2016 and it became an instant hit across China. Originally launched as a short-form video sharing platform, primarily for lip syncing and dancing videos, TikTok has grown into a fully-fledged video service, with content available for all types of viewers.
Tiktok now has 1 billion Monthly Active users (September 2021). It is ranked as the most popular app in Entertainment Category by Hashtag Views, highest social media engagement rates per post. Top1 ranking in Entertainment in iPhone App store. Most Downloaded App in Google Play in May 2021 and is the most Popular Overall App Downloaded Globally in 2020.
TikTok has rolled out Creator Next on December 2,2021, one stop hub includes the creator fund and marketplace, live and video gifts, where you can find all the platform's monetization tools. Creator Next allows users to send money directly to their favourite creators. Yet creators must meet minimum follower requirements, which can vary depending on region, in order to embrace such benefits. The feature is currently only available in the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, with support for Canada and Australia arriving in the “coming months.”
TikTok has grown its presence and gained popularity worldwide and now is available in 155 countries and 75 different languages. The key to its success is its online community where literally anyone who has access to internet can join the TikTok community. This is in line with TikTok’s impressive user engagement figures. Average user spends approximately 52 minutes daily on TikTok and every day an average of 1 million TikTok videos are watched around the global. 90% of TikTok users use the app daily, and half of TikTok users are younger generation aged below 30.
As Tik Tok is a social media platform attracts mostly youth group, which makes the app have a lot of safety concerns. Tik Tok boasts that the user has to be 13 or older to make videos, however plenty of children under 13 which use it and Tik Tok does not revoke their accounts. There has been a spike of creeps and paedophiles lurking on the app. In addition to that, there is too much sexually suggestive content for children and teens. Overall, Tik Tok's community can be toxic and is not safe for children, as many people follow users just to make fun of them and their videos (while sharing them on Instagram and calling them flops) which is essentially cyber bullying.
Pros
- Great entertainment
- Easy to make friends online
- Inspire individual's creativity
- Offers earning potential to anyone with internet
Cons
- Fake Accounts and Scams
- Obsession and addiction may cause mental health problem
- Time wasted on watching other's videos
- Privacy and safety concern for young adult