Why I Think Tok Tok Works

I’d say I have an embarrassing addiction to Tik Tok, but I don’t think something that everyone is addicted to can be all that embarrassing. I’ve been known to get that “Woah hold on! You’ve been scrolling for way too long!” warning every time I try to go to sleep.

But why is it so effective? No it’s not China brainwashing us. Well maybe. But what Tik Tok brings is an attainable five seconds of fame. Or one minute rather. 

The For You Page made it possible for anyone to go viral. On a platform like Twitter one of two things needs to happen. 1) The content creator has so many followers that all their fans like their Tweet it and off it goes. 2) Someone actually says something funny and it’s liked by a friend who’s like by that friend’s friend and then that friend’ friend’s friend and so on and so forth until it’s trending. With Tik Tok, not only is your FYP randomized but it gives the viewer a sense of anonymity. I’ve seen plenty of funny Tweets that should’ve gone viral that I didn’t favorite cause I thought “this person is going to think I’m a weirdo if I’m only the 8th person to like this.” Oddly enough, Tik Tok’s ability to remove that social contract from social media has helped lead to their success.

Next is the commitment you make to the app. Most news articles today don’t need to be read. Everything you need to know is right there in the headline. “Trevor Bauer Is Pitching With One Eye Closed”. What’s the point of opening that article? What is it going to tell me that I don’t already know? With Tik Tok, I know I’m not going to like every video, but I can’t skip ahead. I don’t know if I’m going to enjoy the video until I’m halfway through it and by that time I might as well finish it either way. 

Tik Tok is comprised of regular ass people. Which is the thrill of it. The content creator is giving you a peak into their life and viewers feel like they can relate. You can see the same thought or notion that you’ve had pile up 2.7 million likes. When one of your friends sends you a video, most of the time it’s something you and your friends have done or can see yourselves doing. It’s validation, which is what we’re all really here for. Unless it’s a video of somebody getting scared or hit in the nuts or something which is always just funny to share.

I try to mirror my blogs based on these three principles. Anynonimty to bash or agree with me, hopefully enough intrigue to force you to read the whole thing, and a look into my personal thoughts and ideas. I’d say with the most stress on being personal. Because the odds are someone is thinking the same way I am. Or going through something similar to me. I just like writing it down more than putting on a weird voice and holding up my own camera to my face. Some regular people just need the right platform.