TikTok eating up Generation Z’s time


TikTok, the not-so-new, but addictive app is more than just 15-second videos. It’s a community, like YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram. New challenges, new creators and a whole bunch of viral videos appear every day. This app started the infamous e-boys and e-girls, shed more light on VSCO girls and created new types of short, comedic videos. 

Does this concept sound familiar to you? TikTok is basically Vine but cranked up a notch. This app was formerly known as Musical.ly, which was the home of thirst trapping 14-year-old boys who begged for attention. The moment it changed its name to TikTok, it changed the whole world. From dance trends to quotable videos, this app never fails to attract the attention of teens all around the world. TikTok started an epidemic of dancing teenagers; if you can clap without the hands, then you’re definitely one of them, or maybe you’re just born with it. If you understood both references from the previous sentence, you are more than familiar with the TikTok world. 

From “Hit the Quan” to “Renegade,” Lele Pons to Charli Damelio, the similarities of Vine to TikTok are endless. The main difference? Time. Vine peaked in 2013 and was shut down by 2017. Teenagers who constantly watched Vines from that time period are used to the concept, and now that TikTok has come in full swing, people are familiarized with 15-second entertainment. This pattern explains why TikTok is a reincarnation of Vine. TikTok is stepping aside from that by increasing the pool of people that can make content. Lowering the cost of bad videos and allowing more diverse content allows the app to maintain its popularity. 

Are we going to have to say “El, where are you?” to TikTok soon? Hopefully not, but with the fast-paced challenges that come and go, creators might burn out but this same reason is why it might last longer than Vine — there’s always something new.