TikTok, a short-form video platform launched in 2016 by a Chinese company called ByteDance, has become one of the fast-growing social media apps and has changed how people live.

TikTok started as a 15-second lip-synching and dancing app but has evolved to become much more. It is changing how people consume media, interact with each other, and even see the world.

Before TikTok, one had to have to access to professional equipment or editing software to create video content. This discouraged many people who wanted to be creators. TikTok has made it so that anyone can become a content creator with just their cell phone. Now, anyone can record, edit, and share content, all in the app. Becoming an influencer is more accessible and achievable than ever before.

Junior Canyon Thompson said, “It’s very easy to get famous on TikTok because the algorithm pushes random videos on the ‘For You’ page.”

Tommy Troso ‘24 surpassed one million TikTok followers at Hackley by posting videos of him creating cool mocktails. He wrote an article about his rise to fame on TikTok.

Social media platforms have created a new wave of “influencers,” everyday people who gain a large following from sharing relatable, funny, and informative content. These creators defy the usual “celebrity” stereotype and come from a wide-range of backgrounds with varying opinions and experiences.

TikTok is one of the fastest platforms for spreading trends, memes, and challenges. What could take a while to circulate on other platforms, can go viral on TikTok in a matter of hours. TikTok can house and boost everything from trendy fashion to viral dances, music, and even politics.

Freshman Trey Gelman said, “TikTok trends come and go very fast, but one small video can become a huge trend and catch the attention of many people.”

Fashion items, songs, or even sayings, can be very popular one week, but outdated the next week. TikTok’s algorithm curates personalized content for users based on their interests. It tracks what users like and search for to personalize their “For You” pages. This allows the quick switch of trends becoming popular and then unpopular.

On other platforms, a user’s follower count of users is important to determine if their videos will be seen. On the other hand, TikTok allows smaller creators to be seen by millions of people. As a result, success is not only if creators become long-term celebrities; it also includes brief moments of viral fame.

Some creators have turned their viral moments into successful careers in entertainment, business, and media. For example, Alix Earle was only a college student when she started posting vlogs of her daily life at the University of Miami. These small vlogs helped turn her into a creator with eight million followers and she generally receives around a million likes per post. She now has her clothing line, podcast, and scholarship at the university. This is one of the many examples of how a viral moment on TikTok can completely transform someone’s life.

One of TikTok’s most visible effects is its change in media consumption habits. Its format promotes short and quick videos that are easy to enjoy and swipe through. This form of short content has influenced other platforms, like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, to have similar types of videos.

Junior Fiona Pedraza said, “I have had TikTok since freshman year and it has changed the way I consume media because it influences me to buy different things and participate in trends.”

Fiona said that she is not easily influenced, but TikTok influences her easily. With its quick videos, it can quickly grab the attention of watchers and feed them information quickly.

However, there is a concern that TikTok and other platforms that use these kinds of videos contribute to shorter attention spans. Users are becoming used to fast enjoyment, which reduces their patience for longer and more detailed videos and information such as movies, books, and even news articles. This shift influences how content is created, as industries are finding ways to make their work more instantly engaging.

Junior Zion Bennett said, “TikTok is very distracting and stops me from being productive and doing my work.”

When Zion opens TikTok, she ends up being on the app way longer than she intended. She sometimes sets time limits on the app to prevent being distracted.

In addition to being an entertainment platform, TikTok has also turned into a tool for education. This fast and engaging style allows users to share small lessons ranging from History and Science to food and language study. Next to the “Following” and “For You” pages there is a page called STEM, which includes educational videos about STEM, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This trend is called “Edutok,” and it centers around educational content combined with entertainment to make learning fun.

For some students, TikTok is more than just a fun place to watch videos. TikTok has reshaped the way educational content is shared, making it more approachable and engaging for younger audiences.