By Gracie Boll

TikTok is a social network used for sharing user-generated videos. The application was created by Zhang Yiming, who built a $16.2 billion fortune for himself after founding ByteDance, the Chinese software developer behind TikTok. TikTok is most popular with the younger generation (Gen Z), with about 800 million active members in the TikTok community. The app has also been downloaded over two billion times on the App Store and Google Play. But what is all the craze about? 

Image credit: Anatoliy Sizov.

Collegiate alumna Eliza Howard (‘19), now a current sophomore at the University of South Carolina, said that she decided to “join the TikTok train much later than a lot of people because I never saw the hype surrounding the dances. I think some people can spend way too much time on it and fall into a time suck. I occasionally like to go on it right before I go to bed to watch fun cooking videos, but other than that, I try not to spend much time on it, because there are so many other things I could be doing.” Other students, such as Bryson Raquet (‘21), believe that “TikTok is fine. I use Instagram and Twitter more than I use Tiktok.”

Due to the fact that the app was created in China, some Americans have been skeptical that China is using the popular app to spy on Americans. Zak Doffman, at Forbes magazine, says that ProtonMail, an encrypted email service in Switzerland, warns U.S. citizens to “beware,” that “the social media giant not only collects troves of personal data on you, but also cooperates with the CCP [Chinese Communist Party], extending China’s surveillance and censorship reach beyond its borders.”

There was a possibility that the app would have been banned on September 20, if it was not purchased by an American company, due to an executive order issued by President Donald Trump in early August. The reasoning behind the executive order was that many believed that the personal information of TikTok’s millions of users in the United States would be at risk of exposure to the Chinese government. The US is not the only country to consider banning the controversial app. India has already banned the app, and other countries, such as Australia, are also considering banning the highly disputed and problematic software. Adi Robertson of The Verge claims that “The most intense app bans happen at the network level, blocking any communication between the targeted servers and users in the country. That’s an approach taken by China’s Great Firewall, and it’s how India enforces its recently implemented TikTok ban.” The American software company Oracle has purchased partial ownership of the app in the US. According to CNBC, Oracle owns about “12.5% stake in TikTok and runs cloud services and security for the app.” Walmart also owns 7.5% of the app, and claims they “will have total control over TikTok.”

Not long ago, the US Department of Commerce supposedly issued an order stating that “TikTok will be barred from software updates and distribution in the US,” meaning that future updates on the app will no longer be permitted, and at some point, the app will no longer be able to function properly and will cease to operate. Since Sept. 21, the app is also no longer available within Apple and Google’s digital storefronts, so if one does not have the app downloaded on their phone/device presently, then it is no longer possible to load.

Content creators on the app are still able to make cash off of their videos, depending on how many views they receive. The most popular and most-followed individual on the platform is 16-year-old Charli D’Amelio, who has 84 million followers and a rapidly growing fan base. She is mostly known for her TikTok choreography since joining the app in 2019. Within that span of time, she has built a net worth of over $4 million. She was first recognized on the app, and then transformed her TikTok presence onto other platforms, such as Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat. Through these platforms and her endorsements, merchandising, YouTube revenue share, and sponsored posts, she has been able to make an incredible living for herself and her family at a very young age. Within a year of D’Amelio joining TikTok, she has managed to score sponsorship deals with Hollister, Morphe Cosmetics, Dunkin Donuts, and even created her own merchandise line. She is also one of the many influencers that are hugely popular in the TikTok community that have drama and gossip following them. 

Influencers’ personal lives have given the younger generation some entertainment during these past few months. Two of the most problematic groups call themselves the Hype House and the Sway House. The Hype House is a mansion located in Los Angeles, California that houses several influencers for communal living. Within the houses, they are able to create and collaborate on videos and photos for their social media platforms and help promote one another’s images, social position, reputation, and personal brands. The Sway House is similar to the Hype House, but it is made up of several guys known for their controversial personalities. The Sway House and the Hype House are known for despising one another, for unclear reasons. But many sources suspect that the hostility began when the Hype House founder Thomas Petrou got into a feud with Sway House member Bryce Hall, after he compared his YouTube content to Hall’s. Petrou vocalized that his videos were quality content, and that Hall’s were the complete opposite of that. Other houses or groups that are prominent on TikTok include the Clubhouse, Drip Crib, Kids Next Door, Girls in the Valley, Vault House, Vibe Crew, Byte Squad, Not a Content House, and several others.

The goal of most all the influencers within these “collab houses” is not to live lavishly in their Los Angeles mansions, although that’s a definite plus; it’s to make money. Influencers make most of their money by selling self-created merchandise and products, ad revenues on YouTube, and becoming brand representatives. Certain influencers are able to be more successful than others because of their attitudes and behaviors. With more success and a better attitude comes more money. 

Both houses have recently received backlash for throwing parties with unmasked, non-socially distanced teenagers and young adults. For example, Sway House’s Hall turned 21 during quarantine and decided to throw a birthday party. According to Insider.com, there were “well over 100 maskless guests” attending the party. The influencers of Gen Z do not seem to be setting a good example for the younger generation by partying their way through a national pandemic.

Other creators on the app who have made a name for themselves include Addison Rae, Josh Richards, Noah Beck, Bryce Hall, Avani Gregg, and Chase Hudson. Each of these individuals got attention on the app for different reasons. For example, Gregg received attention for her creative makeup looks, Rae for dancing content she created with her mother, and Richards for his lip-synching videos, comedic skits, and weird dance moves.

Even though TikTok seems to be mindless and carefree entertainment, it is also a source of information. Brooke Mattingly (‘21) believes that, “TikTok is more than just entertainment and dance videos. There are accounts dedicated to teaching kids about the stock market, the Common Application and how to apply to college, and the certain steps that need to be taken in order to get into an adequate college, SAT/ACT prep, and even political messages to educate the uninformed generation.” What will be next for TikTok?