By Meredith Pratt | Assistant News Editor
TikTok isn’t that great. In fact, I deleted it almost immediately after downloading it.
I know so many people who don’t go a day without scrolling through TikTok videos. Fans of the app cook TikTok recipes and follow TikTok celebrities and are up to date on all of the TikTok trends that I’m not. But I’ll be honest… I don’t feel like I’m missing out.
One reason I can’t bring myself to re-download TikTok is because I know it is a big time waster. Between my job and senior-level classes, I barely have enough hours in the day as it is, and I already spend way too much time scrolling on Instagram. Some people spend hours every night before bed catching up on videos, and, I’ve got to say, I would much prefer getting a few more hours of sleep.
Not only is TikTok good at sucking people in to binge-watch videos, it’s also good at persuading people to buy things. I have heard countless friends say “TikTok made me buy it” or that they were wanting something they heard about on the app. To me, it is dangerous to be constantly fed content that pushes you to buy products you supposedly need.
There are some privacy concerns as well. A few TikTok users have told me they think the app listens to them and adjusts the videos they see accordingly. There has also been some debate on whether or not the Chinese government was accessing data from the app, but that’s a whole other discussion.
TikTok has created a new set of internet celebs as well. Some of these users have capitalized on their newfound fame and sizable audiences and turned it into their full-time career. That in and of itself is strange to me, but, hey, it’s their choice. I have never understood the appeal of becoming a fan of these TikTok celebs, and I could care less about what happens in the “Hype House.” Arguably one of the most famous TikTok stars is Charlie D’Amelio, a 16-year-old girl who makes dancing videos. That just isn’t content I really care to watch. I especially don’t want to recreate any of those dances either.
This leads me to my next point: I feel too old for the majority of the videos on TikTok (or maybe I don’t have the right sense of humor). Either way, I don’t resonate with the jokes or trends that come from the app. I read in an article that one-third of TikTok users are under 14, so maybe that’s why — the audience is comprised of countless young teens.
If I want to watch videos, YouTube is definitely still my platform of choice. I don’t think I will ever get back on TikTok, but I am very interested to see how long the TikTok hype lasts.
