The Power of Tik Tok

Most of us, at least once, have thought what can I do to keep myself entertained? I never imagined the answer would be Tik Tok.

Tik Tok was released in the International market in 2017, but I only discovered it after the pandemic went into full blast. That is the case for a lot of us, the app blew up because people were stuck at home and needed something to entertain themselves and hopefully others in the process. The reason that I found out about the popular app was due to friends randomly tagging me in videos on Facebook that were originally posted on the app. It got to the point that I was so intrigued with it, that I took the leap, and downloaded it onto my phone.

At first, all I did was aimlessly scroll down on the app, watching funny videos, the kind that make your stomach hurt from laughing. All these strangers trying to make a name of themselves. I didn’t get it, until I fell into that trap of wanting to turn up on people’s For You page. I wanted a taste of social media fame.

My account now has a bunch of videos uploaded to it. I check it a few times a day, hoping that one of my videos has gone viral. My account only has a few followers and my videos don’t get many views. However, one of my videos has 18.3 K views, but only 593 likes. The rush that I felt every time that I saw the views go up were enough to make my heart jump out of my body. It is a bit silly to let an app have so much control over your life but considering that I can’t leave my house unless it is for something essential, there isn’t much that I can do.

The truth is that Tik Tok has become a problem in my life. It is an addictive app, that I can’t seem to put down. I could watch videos on there for hours, and sometimes I do. If you’re in the same boat as me, don’t be too hard on yourself. For me personally, I don’t have any purpose in my life, and that is to be expected when you’re living through a global pandemic. At least I have a distraction that is helping me get through this, and it shows us that I am not alone. So, it is okay if Tik Tok is controlling your life because the world has been turned upside down and there is not much, we can do with it.

My friend, who is also on Tik Tok, pointed out an account that he thought I would enjoy. I gave them a follow and have not been disappointed. The account is called @mrsamcotton. He puts his real-life doodles onto things, mostly unanimated objects and turns them into funny Australian animations.

The videos are hilarious, imaginative and clever. It is good to have a reminder that the world is still full of people trying to bring others spirits up. They do say laughter is the best medicine. I think if I didn’t download Tik Tok than I would have just been a miserable soul, throughout this whole virus. Videos like that are important, even if you think they are silly and a waste of time, like I did once, they actually do wonders for your happiness. Most importantly, I think we all need a good distraction, once in a while. Tik Tok may not be your thing and that is okay. I don’t think I ever thought I would say this, but I love Tik Tok.