Out of 5.4 billion internet users around the world, around 20% of them use TikTok monthly. The idea that an app can become so popular is a marvel to the world. TikTok is something that everyone knows and not everyone loves. How did it become so popular? How was it able to compete with apps like Facebook or Instagram? How and why did an app designed entirely around short videos take over the world?

What is TikTok?

TikTok was released to the world in September of 2016, pretty quickly becoming a massive success. The company behind it, ByteDance, a Chinese-based company, had created something special. TikTok is an app that gives 15-60-second long videos in short form content to the user in quick bursts, usually through the “For You” page.

The interface of the app is incredibly simple and user-friendly, allowing almost anyone to use it. TikTok has become beloved by many for either curing their boredom or allowing them to share their creativity with others on the internet. 

Student Aidan Culbert was interviewed to get his opinion on the app. Aidan said that the first time he had TikTok was when he was in eighth grade. He believes that TikTok became really popular in 2019. He thinks this is due to it being entertaining.

How It Took Over Social Media

Social media and pop culture are things that are quite interconnected. Social media usually determines what is popular at that time. In other words, social media has control over trends and has control over most of pop culture.

TikTok is the embodiment of this. Because it is incredibly simple and easy to share, ideas spread fast. People send each other videos from TikTok, causing more people to download the app to see more of what they sent. 

Another contributing factor to its success is the target demographic for TikTok: there is none. TikTok has such a broad variety of users that makes it so appealing. Anyone can use it. TikTok also has a ton of tools that allow people who are not too familiar with making content to be able to do so.

The second interview was with someone close to me: my mother. She does not use TikTok frequently. She says that she remembers getting the app in 2020 and does not really use it other than when she is bored. She believes the reason it is so successful is because of how good it is at curing boredom.

Polls

To get some opinions about how and when TikTok took over social media, some close friends, fellow students, and family members were asked about when they felt that TikTok blew up and became so popular.

They were asked when they got TikTok and most of them said that around 2018-2019. Some of them had gotten it a little later. 

They were also asked when they felt that TikTok became super popular. Most of them said that around the pandemic because TikTok allowed them to keep themselves entertained as well as share some things they saw with their friends.

The final question asked was how they thought TikTok became so popular. The general consensus was that it being super user-friendly and entertaining is why it became so popular. 

A fellow student who wishes to remain anonymous was also interviewed. The student does not have TikTok and does not believe that it can cure boredom. Despite not having TikTok, he knows how it works. He believes that TikTok became popular because of its easy-to-use user interface. 

Conclusion

There are many reasons that contribute to TikTok’s popularity. It is easy to see why people love it so much. It is also easy to see how something like it can get so popular. It is simple, easy, and appealing to almost anyone. TikTok is an app that has changed the way social media is used and how it works. It is a phenomenon that has changed the world.