Why is Everyone Against Tik Tok?

Most, if not all millennials or older Gen Z’s have said or thought, “I will never download Tik Tok. That app is for children and I am not a child. It is a rip off of Vine. It’s going to die just like Musically.” At the start of the Tik Tok phase, I was the same way. I said the same thing. I thought it was just a trend that would die out. My little sister who is thirteen was into Musically when it was all the rage, and all I can remember was the same song on repeat as she made her videos in the next room. It’s how she made me hate popular songs—because of one part of the chorus was on a continuous repeat for at least twenty minutes at a time. Tik Tok started out the same exact way in my household and the memories of Musically came rushing back, and that was the very first reason as to why I was against the app.

Tik Tok entered the picture with countless creators recreating scenes with audio from movies and tv shows, dancers using new and old songs, political talk, spiritual talk, even small, minute long episodes of imagination stories, but I would only see the funny ones when they hit my Instagram feed months after they had been originally published.

I used to think Tik Tok was only a place for dances that and lip syncing videos that gave you second hand embarrassment created by thirteen year olds who looked like they were really twenty three. These children are making more money at a younger age than I am now. That jealousy was the second reason why I was against the app. However, I was actually wrong. Tik Tok is still a part of the internet that is so vastly filled with entertainment and content that one person would die before they got to see it all.

At the beginning, I despised Tik Tok just like everyone else. I thought it was for children and teenagers the same age as my sister. I was a part of the group of people who thought it was a placeholder for Vine. Though I failed to notice that this is the new generation’s Vine. They have no idea what we are talking about when we make fun of Tik Tok, calling it the Vine reject. But some Tik Tok’s have the same energy as Vines, and those are my favorites when they pop up on my for you page. Those videos give me a sense of nostalgia and I’m glad that I get that feeling that I never would have gotten if I hadn’t downloaded the app.

When I first created my Tik Tok account, it was so I could watch the videos my coworkers would send me. I had no interest in finding videos that I liked and tailoring my for you page to my likes, because I didn’t care enough to do so. As time went on and I watched only a few once a month, and then that turned into a few times a week, and now I can get lost for hours down an endless rabbit hole watching those stupid videos. There truly is no limit to the content on that app. There’s something for everyone. Harry Potter, Marvel, DC Comics, hell, even witchcraft content and information is on there. Communities of all kinds join forces and new members come in, giving a sense of family to few. I have plenty of saved videos relating to work memes, Karen stories, and videos that make me laugh so hard I can barely breathe at two in the morning.

Tik Tok created a community using other communities. New trends are created every few weeks. Just like saying “yeet“ in a big crowd, “sheeeesh” will have the same effect. I would have never known that the latch on my car door can open a bottle had it not been for the app. (Yes, I’ve tested it. It does work). The app taught me how to put my hair into a bun. It raised my confidence in myself and made me feel like I wasn’t actually crazy. With the app available around the world, there are people who go through the same things that you do and you actually know that you’re not alone in the situation you’ve been put in.

Once I admitted that I had a Tik Tok obsession, I even tried to make some content of my own. If young kids could have mansions in California funded by their videos, why couldn’t I? I learned very quickly that becoming a Tik Tok star would mean dedication to creating videos and staying on top of trends, which I did not have the motivation for. In the end, I deleted all of my content and went back to just watching the videos. I unfortunately live in the real world and I didn’t have the time or patience to become famous. To be honest with you, I wouldn’t have the heart to go through some of the things that influencers and celebrities go through. Anyone with more than one half of a brain cell would know that being famous can have its setbacks.

Speaking from experience, my theory as to why older people (gen z calls us old even though we are in our early to late twenties), is that we are comparing it to what we used to know, like the early 2000’s Spongebob. Tik Tok can never fill the void of what Vine used to be, but it is hilarious to watch it try.

If you haven’t tried Tik Tok, I would one hundred percent recommend you giving it a try. You can learn some new things. There are plenty of educational videos amongst the goofy ones. The funny videos can give you some serotonin when you really need it. You may find some new favorite songs to add to your playlist. Whatever brings you to it, there is plenty of content to keep you there.

Side note, this article was not sponsored by Tik Tok, just written by someone who really likes watching stupid videos all night.