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5 fast facts about TikTok
- Currently has over 500 million users and growing
- Focused on younger generations
- Can be used in 155 countries
- Can be translated into 75 languages
- Nearly a million videos are viewed each day
What started as a Chinese-based app has now turned into a global sensation for teenagers and young adults. In September 2017, the mobile app TikTok was launched. TikTok is directed toward teenagers, and it allows video posting and sharing.
Videos are less than a minute long and include lip-syncing, comedy and talent.
Within four months of its launch, the app was ranked No. 1 in free-mobile-app downloads in Thailand and other countries. TikTok quickly became the world’s most downloaded app in the Apple Store, with more than 104 million downloads.
Buhler freshman Kelsi Hilger is a TikTok user who finds entertainment in the app.
“Most of the videos are pretty funny,” Hilger said. “The most entertaining videos are the funny ones. The dancing ones are cool but the funny ones are way better.”
However, some critics have begun to question whether or not TikTok can become harmful or addictive to its users. Many teenagers have found themselves spending hours a day on the app.
“I do think the app can become addicting,” Hilger said. “I feel that way in every social media app. People get lost in the app and don’t realize how much time they put into staring at their phone watching videos.”
Buhler freshman Faith Kretzer also thinks that TikTok can become addicting for users.
“Becoming TikTok famous is a big deal,” Kretzer said. “The more you watch the videos, the more you want to try to make them better.”
Kretzer spends approximately one or two hours a day on the app, which is comparatively similar to the average time a TikTok user spends each day watching or uploading videos. According to filtergrade.com, users spend about an hour at a time on the app. About 70% of these users are watching videos, while about 50% are uploading videos of their own. With the majority of the TikTok users between the ages of 16 and 24, the possibilities are endless as to what could be created in the videos.
“I find it entertaining,” Kretzer said. “It’s just video after video and they’re all so different. I think the most entertaining thing is how dumb some of the videos are.”
One thing is for sure, whether it is dumb, humorous, or talented, TikTok has found a way to entertain millions of people across the globe, with videos under 60 seconds.
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