I Like TikTok and I’m Not Embarrassed to Say It
I don’t hate that I like TikTok, anymore. Here’s why…
This post has been in my drafts for a year now and I finally had time to spare. Perks(!) of being in lockdown during a global pandemic…
The first draft was titled ‘Why do we hate TikTok?’. About six months later, I changed it into ‘Why do we hate that we are starting to like TikTok?’. Now that everyone is on TikTok (thanks to the guy who decided that eating bat meat was a good idea), I think it’s time I posted it! After all, it eez what it eez… 🤷♀️ And if you got this reference…
First things first… According to TikTok;
From a user’s perspective, it’s a form of social media that is not time-consuming to create things…or to watch. It’s just, easy… Also, there are no grandmas.
There WERE no grandmas… Now it is more popular than ever, weirdly among them too!
The Rise of TikTok
In 2018, TikTok was the most downloaded Android app in the US. It got people’s attention. But only after when it became the most downloaded app worldwide in Q1 2020, content creators and brands realized that they couldn’t afford to ignore it anymore… They couldn’t say no to high engagement, and rapid growth.
The early adopters were teens. They were the biggest consumers of social video, not only because 16–24s preferred entertainment to news content, but also because it fulfilled the young generation’s desire to be popular. And teenagers eventually became addicted to the ’15 seconds video’ format.
I feel like TikTok is a new level of engagement. If I go as a marketer to another platform I get likes, shares or comment. If I get a video on TikTok, I get 20 to 30 minutes of a person’s time to create and share. I’m turning someone into a brand ambassador to start off a conversation.
-Stefan Heinrich, TikTok’s head of global marketing
TikTok is IN more than ever, but should brands be advertising on it?
TikTok isn’t a network for engaging with friends. It’s a platform designed for the world of influencer marketing and content creators…
#HashtagChallenges turn users into brand content creators, capitalizing on the audience’s natural tendency to create and share content, paving the way for organic content opportunities that have the potential to go viral.
I think TikTok is great in terms of promoting record labels, artists, their albums as well as creating brand-awareness campaigns. As TikTok is trying to acquire an older demographic, I think the ad unit would be great for brands that align with Gen-Z.
-Chris Strong, account director at influencer marketing agency Viral Nation
If you’re confident that your target audience is using TikTok and your brand is capable of creating engaging content on this kind of platform, then it might be time to start using the network.
People love to hate TikTok!
But, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows for TikTok. Many people think TikTok videos are cringe, and also that it’s not cool to state otherwise.
Some people see TikTok as a complete waste of time, literally. As can be seen in the meme below, and in many other memes available on various social platforms:
Why do people hate it?
Political Scientist Mark Blyth, thinks that atelophobia, fear of imperfection, feeds from the fact that neoliberalism is on the rise, in a time where we are displaying every aspect of our lives. Or, simply put:
But we need to think further about the individual and social dynamics in order to explain the hate towards TikTok videos… I would like to believe there is more to it than just “The middle class is shocked that the poor can have fun and the ugly can become social media celebrities!”.
Why do people watch TikToks if they are so ‘cringe’ ? 🕵🏻♀️
>Maybe it’s similar to the case of the freak shows in the 16th century. It has always been and forever will be interesting to watch people who are different than you… Maybe that is the reason behind TikTok’s success. “Anomaly” or “ugliness” have become things that are desirable for the society.
>Maybe it can be explained through Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory. TikTok videos put the superego first, ignoring id. Videos which are embarrassing for some, reflect the social need of being liked and recognized, for others. And as for the upper class, maybe they have become addicted to TikTok because it feeds their ego.
>Or maybe it’s just a guilty pleasure, and nothing more…
Why do people take TikToks, in the first place?
TikTok algorithm makes it easier to be ‘discovered’. The first thing you see when you open the app, is a page called “For You”.
Imagine an Instagram centered entirely around its “Explore” tab…There is no need to build an audience, or to be incredibly beautiful. The bar is low, and the stakes are even lower.
In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.
-Andy Warhol
Robert W. Fuller from Psychology Today, claims that the desire for fame, in extreme cases, is a sign of mental illness and the reason behind wanting to be famous is Rankism.
Rankism is the exploitation or humiliation of those with less power or lower status. According to, «Somebodies and Nobodies» theory, rankism occurs when somebodies use their power to take advantage of those they see as nobodies.
And ‘‘Nobodies’’ want to be recognized. They hope that fame can help them gain status, and TikTok is the perfect platform for ranking higher the easy way… The sense of ‘fame’’ prevents them from being psychologically open to criticism. They feel superior and reputable, even though they are sometimes making a fool out of themselves…
Tables have turned…
We can’t deny the unintended consequence of the lockdown on the always evolving world of social media, specifically on TikTok…
Even supermodels and social media “elites” have started taking TikToks to fight boredom and anxiety. Everyone who labeled it ‘cringe-worthy’ is now on it, can’t get enough of it, using the hashtags #fy #foryou #foryoupage and suddenly saying things like:
Still, some influencers say that they joined TikTok “ironically”. I get it, it’s a phase… They still think it’s a bit embarrassing, but it has come to a stage where they can’t ignore its popularity.
All things considered, it’s only natural that our likes and dislikes change in a time like this and TikTok really does help take the edge off… So there is no point in hating on or pretending to hate on the stuff we enjoy.
I have come to terms with it, and I suggest you do the same. TikTok has won, there’s no denying it. Don’t fight your urge to post, I know you want to… As the goddess of victory says;
Just do it…
