What’s Up with TikTok?

What do you get when you mash together Instagram, Vine, Flipagram, and Musical.ly?

TikTok.

My middle school students introduced me to TikTok this past school year when I noticed that my 6th grade girls were glued to it during recess.  Fifteen second videos that you can add music plus filters, stickers, text, and more.

Here’s what the Heavy says about TikTok – it’s a: “global music and video platform, it was created in 2016 by Chinese internet technology company ByteDance. TikTok is known in China as Douyin. The video-sharing app has 150 million active daily users and the global app has three times that many subscribers. Most of the videos feature lip-syncing, lots of pets especially cats doing fun stuff, lots of pretty girls, many young, and parkour or other thrill-seeking clips among myriad other short clips. When YouTube crashed (last fall), TikTok was quick to swoop in. “

TikTok is also unusual because it has a reaction feature (Video). “See a video you think is funny? Record your reaction with voice and
narration and then share it. This feature is an opportunity for users to
insert themselves into the videos they like.”

Reaction to ‘reactions’ was mixed.

“Only 12 year fangirls liked this video.”

Here’s what the app profile looks like – notice my 0 followers & 3 videos LOL I did say I was new at this, right?

Check out this overview from our friends at ABC News Australia

My name on TikTok is @gwyneth_jones and I don’t have any followers yet and only 3 posts, but if I waited to share with you the new things that I’ve already mastered, well ….that could take months or years and then it wouldn’t be new anymore!  (and I just noticed that I say “here’s an example a LOT  I’ll work on that)

Some interesting TikTok facts 

and Social Media channel stats in 2012

compared to 2018 — Noticed how Instagram took over Twitter…..and Tiktok, too! Instagram is a strong third. This is why I recommend lately that educators new to Social Media, who want to reach the students (rather than develop a Personal Learning Network with colleagues) might want to start with IG first rather than Twitter.

 

Parental Concerns. Try This. 

refreshing outlier in the social media universe” that’s “genuinely fun to use.”

I am still learning more about this app. I like that you can have a public channel (like for my Library & professional use) and I don’t have to “friend” people so they can see my content like Snapchat because well….boundaries! 

TLDR:  TikTok is an app which shares 15 second videos with music, filters, stickers, & more. The is rated 12+ for mild crude humor, sexual content and nudity, drug references, mature themes and fantasy violence.  (EEEP!)) The app is free.  And fast.  If the attention span of 60 min videos available on Instagram are too long, TikTok is there. If the challenge to make short  funny/ proactive / silly / music videos like on Vine is missed, TikTok is there. Also, TikTok took quick advantage of the Great YouTube Crash of fall 2018′ to seize the opportunity to land more subscribers.

What do you think? Leave your comments & let me know your thoughts! Thanks for reading!

Resources:

What Parents (and Teachers) Should Know About the Tik Tok (Musical.ly) App
37 TikTok Statistics That Will Blow Your Mind [UPDATED 2019]
How to Record a Music Video with TikTok (with Pictures)
How to Use TikTok: Tips for New Users | WIRED
A guide to the app TikTok for anyone who isn’t a teen.
How TikTok Is Rewriting the World – The New York Times
Tik Tok: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com

Videos:

What is TikTok? ABC News Australia (part of my Mobile App presentation) 6 min
Musical ly App is Now Tik Tok App – Parent Guide SmartSocial.com 9min