The New Social Media Sensation-TikTok™

by Kimberly Crouch

In this digital age, teens are obsessed with their phones and
its apps. It is not abnormal to see teens buried in their
devices, whether they are texting their friends, listening to
music or catching up on the latest social media posts and
feeds. Teens love Instagram and Snapchat; however, if you
have been around them lately, within minutes, you will see
them imitating dance moves, singing and reciting lines that
have many raising an eyebrow. What app is causing this
new obsession? TikTok.
What is TikTok?
Deposit Photos
TikTok, an app developed in China, allows people to create and share 15-second Annotations
videos. Originally known as the Musical.ly app in the United States, the app rebranded
in August 2018. Since then, it has gained over 100 million users. According to Tech
Crunch, “as of November 2018, TikTok has surpassed Facebook, Instagram and
Snapchat in daily app downloads” (Perez). As of February 2020, TikTok had over 1
billion users.

According to Frannie Ucciferri, “TikTok is a free social media app that lets you watch,
create, and share videos -- often to a soundtrack of the top hits in music -- right from your
phone.” In addition, a person can choose his/her interests, and this will guide the videos
that show up on his/her feed. Whether users are creating their own videos or watching
others’ videos, the app offers fun sound-bites and popular music.

TIKTOK TERIFFIC-Why is TikTok so Popular with Teenagers?

With today’s teen generation, there are a few things teens need digitally and socially-
instant gratification, the chance to go viral, and the opportunity to connect with people
who have the same interests. Not
only does TikTok offer this, but
teens find TikTok wildly
entertaining and genuinely fun.
Teens can watch others lip sync to
their favorite songs, invent fun
and funky dance moves, view
comical skits and participate in a
variety of challenges. They do not
have to follow anyone or search
anything to watch. Because
YouGov Website
TikTok spools one’s feed based
on their interests, they will only receive videos, memes and content that focuses on
their passions and activities.

According to teens, one of the best features of TikTok is the trending popular songs.
Teens can sing along to to their favorite songs, artists and clips. The songs showing up
on their feeds all depend on the country they are in, what is trending, and the current
hit list. These songs give people the opportunity to sing along and stay current. Users
can also download short sound bites from movies, celebrities and musicians, and
upload them directly into their videos.

HL 1 English, Oh My!
 Annotations
According to Allie Volpe, “…music has the power to evoke an emotional response
within us, but that’s particularly true with the act of performing music — singing,
dancing, and drumming.” Karaoke, a popular piece of TikTok, melds all the best
aspects of music together and gives people the opportunity to connect with one another
through a common interest. Eiluned Pearce, a social and evolutionary neuroscience
researcher says, “What we’ve found is singing is really good at bonding people who
don’t know each other very well” (Volpe).
Another exciting and entertaining part of TikTok is the funny, quirky filters. The filters
allow users to morph their faces, add cool lighting, video and cinematography effects,
like an earthquake, causing the screen and video to shake. In addition, users can add
animal heads to their faces, use a green screen, add beauty filters, and finish it off with
text features and music.

Meara McNitt, Social Media Strategist at Online Optimism, explains that what also
makes TikTok so much fun is “Via TikTok, users make videos of themselves singing in
their car, performing skits, capturing funny moments, even recording existing videos
from Snapchat to share with a wider audience.” This gives teens an outlet for self-
expression, and if teens catch the right audience at the right time, their video, skit or
dance moves can become very popular and can go viral quickly. Now they have an
audience and are capturing the attention of hundreds of people.
TikTok Terrifying-Is TikTok Safe?
With most social media apps and usage comes trepidation and worry. Many question
the safety of TikTok, particularly after some terrifying and dangerous challenges have
reared their ugly heads on the app. These videos tend to trend because people find
entertainment in the outcome of daredevil tricks, and these videos receive many views.
One of these challenges is ”The Fire Challenge”, where people douse themselves (their
arms and chest) with flammable liquid. They then record the effects of the challenge
which often leads to 1st and 2nd degree burns and hospital visits.

Another viral challenge that has surfaced is ”The Skull Breaker Challenge”. The object
is for three people to stand in a row, jump at the same time, and try to kick the center
person’s feet out from under them. In the end, the center person often hits their head on
the ground. This particular challenge sent a Venezuelan teen to the ICU after fracturing
their skull.

However, many argue viral challenges and daredevils have been around for years, and
people have always been interested in other’s death-defying and crazy stunts for
entertainment. Past or present, stunts, magicians and illusionists draw people’s attention.
According to the Daily Dot, “Long before the internet became our collective obsession,
people were attempting stupid stunts for clout” (Bonfiglio). Take Harry Houdini for
example. Harry Houdini was an illusionist and stunt performer in the late 1800s. In
1904, thousands of people came to watch Houdini escape being buried alive.

One of Harry Houdini’s most famous publicity stunts had himself strap himself into a
straight jacket and hang by his ankles from a tall crane. He was to make his escape in
front of a full crowd, drawing thousands of people and bringing city traffic to a halt.
Houdini would often ensure publicity and a crowd by performing from an office or
newspaper building. What is the difference of seeing a stunt in real life versus one on
an app? There really is no difference. Regardless of the time period, risk takers have
always wanted to draw a crowd.
2 English, Oh My!
 You Cannot Blame Teens for Their Social Media Obsession Annotations

In the 1980s and 1990s, teens were obsessed with MTV, music videos and watching
their favorite sitcoms. In the 21st century, the art of “watching” has evolved from
the TV to the cell phone, whether it is YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok videos, or
streaming movies directly on the phone. Every adolescent generation has an
obsession.
In addition, it is the teens’ brains that seeks reward. Scientists from the University of
California discovered, “a certain part of the brain associated with rewards hums
with activity whenever teens see one of their photos earn a lot of ‘likes’”
(Almendrala). Teens are extremely sensitive to their “likes”, and it often affects their
mood; thus, if a peer likes a user’s photo, it creates a sense of accomplishment.
The researcher’s findings show that viewing social media
stimulates the reward section of the brain called the
nucleus accumbens. Just as much as chocolate or
participating in something of pleasure, social media
“likes” have the same effect on this section of the
brain. Since the nucleus accumbens is at its
largest size during adolescence, teens experience
heightened responses with these senses, giving them
feelings of extreme validation and completion. When the
need for validation is instant with a click of a button, this makes it more compelling
for the teenage brain.
Overall, just like with any social media app, television show or movie, parents
should always monitor what their children are viewing, and regardless of the
interest, everything should always be done in moderation. In addition, teens are
old enough to make decisions, and they should always think about their actions
and the consequences associated with poor choices. It only takes one second or
one poor decision to change someone’s life.
Works Cited
Almendrala, Anna. “This Explains Why Social Media Is Irresistible To Teen Brains.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 3 June 2016,
www.huffpost.com/entry/this-could-explain-why-teens-are-so-obsessed-with-social-
media_n_574f7084e4b0ed593f134279.

Alnaji, Candace. “TikTok: What Is It And Why Is It So Popular?” Momtastic, 16 Aug. 2019,
www.momtastic.com/parenting/767017-tiktok/.

Bonfiglio, Nahila. “The Most Dangerous TikTok Challenges We've Seen-so Far.” The Daily Dot, The Daily Dot, 23 Feb. 2020,
www.dailydot.com/unclick/dangerous-tiktok-challenges/.

Leskin, Paige. “Inside the Rise of TikTok, the Viral Video-Sharing App Whose Ties to China Are Raising Concerns in the
US.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 23 Jan. 2020, www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-app-online-website- video-
sharing-2019-7.

Perez, Sarah. “TikTok Surpassed Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat & YouTube in Downloads Last Month.” TechCrunch, TechCrunch,
2 Nov. 2018, techcrunch.com/2018/11/02/tiktok-surpassed-facebook-instagram-snapchat-youtube-in-downloads-last-
month/.

Ucciferri, Frannie. “Parents' Ultimate Guide to TikTok.” Common Sense Media: Ratings, Reviews, and Advice, Common Sense
Media, 28 Aug. 2018, www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/parents-ultimate-guide-to-tiktok.

Volpe, Allie. “A Psychological Explanation for Why So Many People Love Karaoke.” The Cut, The Cut, 12 Apr. 2018,
www.thecut.com/2018/04/a-psychological-explanation-for-the-appeal-of-karaoke.html.

Wellbank, Lauren. “Why Do Kids Love TikTok? - What Every Parent Needs to Know.” Parentology, 2 Mar. 2020,
parentology.com/why-do-kids-love-tiktok-what-every-parent-need-to-know/.
3 English, Oh My!
Name: _____________________________ Date:

The New Social Media Sensation-TikTok™

Comprehension Questions
Directions: Read the multiple choice questions carefully, and use the article to help you
answer the questions.
1. What is the purpose of the “What is TikTok?” 5. What is another great heading for the
section? subcategory, “TikTok Terrific-Why is TikTok so Popular
with Teens?”
A. To make teens aware of the fun they can have
with this app. A. “More TikTok, Please! ”
B. To inform parents how expensive the app is. B. “Parents’ Angst with TikTok”
C. To persuade teens not to use TikTok because it is C. ”A Thorough Explanation of TikTok”
so dangerous. D. “Overcoming the Technical Issues”
D. To inform the reader with information about the
app including place of origin and history. 6. What is the purpose of the author writing this
2. Which is NOT a positive aspect noted about article?
TikTok?
A. To solely inform the reader and explain the app.
A. It has so many fun and creative filters to use in B. To persuade the reader of any age to try out the
app.
videos.
B. The app can help teens donate money to a worthy C. To prove TikTok is not problematic.
cause. D. To present information, the positives and negatives
C. The app allows people to lip-sync to popular about the app.
songs.
D. A person can create their own videos. 7. What is the purpose of the graph on the first page
of the article?

3. “As of November 2018, TikTok has surpassed A. To show readers how much time adults are
Facebook, Instagram…”. What does the word spending on their devices.
“surpassed” mean? B. To show readers how much time teens are
spending on their devices at school.
A. Exceeded & Passed B. Reached & Tied C. To show readers how much time kids and teens
C. Competed & Played D. Decreased & Declined are spending on their devices throughout the day.
D. To show how little teens spend on their devices.

4. Which line BEST shows how TikTok is entertaining

and engaging? 8. “When the need for validation is instant with a click
of a button, this makes it more compelling for the
A. “TikTok, an app developed in China, allows teenage brain.”
people to create and share 15-second videos.”
B. “With most social media apps and usage comes Which is NOT a definition of “compelling”?
trepidation and worry.”
C. “As of February 2020, TikTok has over 1 billion A. Exciting
users.“ B. Captivating
D. “Overall, just like any social media app, television C. Gripping
show or movie, parents should always monitor D. Resisting
what their child is viewing…”

Short Answer Question:

In the article, it says, “Houdini would often ensure publicity and a crowd by performing from an office or
newspaper building.” How is Houdini and TikTok similar? Use text-based evidence to support your claim.
HL English, Oh My!