On August 2, 2018, the lip-syncing app formerly known as Musical.ly was merged by the company ByteDance Ltd. into a video-sharing social network called TikTok. 

When the change to TikTok occurred, many adults began making videos, leading to uploads of “Cringe Compilations” on YouTube. When numerous compilations went viral, teens and young adults took the app with ironic humor. This quickly became popular on the app. By October of 2018, TikTok was on a rise, having been downloaded by approximately 68 million users worldwide and ranked the fourth most popular app in Apple’s App Store for 2019.

The positive statistics come as no surprise to teens who use the app. TikTok has been a creative outlet for children, teens, and adults, with videos ranging from cosplay to comedy. The many different sides of TikTok allow students to find ways to connect with others, whether it’s through editing, doing duets, joining trends or forming “houses.” Some students have become social media influencers, which can be a way to make money or find sponsorships with brands in order to continue creating content for fans.

PCNN reached out to TikTok star Cooper Scott (@cooperscott) who is known for his “Popcorn for a Joke” videos, along with his most popular video of himself in an airport. He currently has 652.1k followers and a total of 24.6 million likes. When asked how TikTok has impacted him, Cooper Scott discussed sponsorships, stating, “TikTok affects my life in a few ways. Having the TikTok following puts me in a spot where I can either be complacent or try to capitalize on it. I’ve had numerous companies reach out for sponsorships or artists for song plays. It makes the creating harder now that I’m in college, but I still try to take full advantage of the situation I’ve put myself in.”

TikTok has been described as “The New Vine” (a video-sharing social media network that shut down in January 2017), so it is not unusual to find Vine stars on TikTok. PCNN spoke with Luke Abercrombie (@lukeabercrombie), who is well known for his iconic Vine skit which birthed one of the most widely used Vine quotes, “I saw you hanging out with Kaitlyn the other day. Rebecca, it’s not what you think!” 

Luke Abercrombie has a 391.1k following on TikTok and spoke about what he believes his TikTok brand is. “Absolute tomfoolery at its finest. My followers just like seeing me be goofy; not taking myself seriously and just having fun. You see a lot of people gain a following from their looks or talents. I don’t have either, unfortunately, but I think it’s a blessing in disguise. It allows me to freely embarrass myself.”

A relatively new aspect in the TikTok community is the fight for hype. Hype has become the new slang for what was once referred to as clout- or, plainly speaking, popularity. A comment along the lines of “she deserves the next hype” can be found on most videos on the TikTok “ForYou” page. Panther Creek teens have said that TikTok hype is an absurd concept; however, many students still hope their videos end up going viral. 

Although TikTok stars have large audiences, clout, and potential sponsorships, they are all still teens nonetheless, and deal with the peaks and valleys of social media that PCHS students also face. Cooper Scott stated that “A lot of creators look at all their comments and sometimes some really rude things are said. I don’t read all my comments but also don’t respond or read the rude ones either. The key word when discussing the negative side of social media platforms seems to be insecurity, which most teens would agree they experience at times but can ultimately be heightened on apps like TikTok.”

Luke Abercrombie stated something similar. “It offers you great endless entertainment. It can amass you a large following. But it can also influence you to change your looks, your personality, etc. The app can very easily make you feel insecure,” he says. With these valleys of social media in tow, there are many good sides to TikTok. Creator Chris Carter (@thatsjustchris) says “Some of the positive impacts of a social media site like Tiktok are the friendships and bonding like I said before. Lots of people create content that is similar and become friends because of it.” 

The friendships and bonds social media sites like TikTok create are the heart of the apps, and a big reason they are loved so much by Panther Creek students.