3 GREAT REASONS TO START USING TIK TOK

3 GREAT REASONS TO USE TIK TOK

Guest Blog Post By Olivia Blair

Back when 2020 was the worst year ever (and we were all stuck at home), one of the only things that would help us pass the time was Tik Tok.

It essentially became the “cool kids spot” of social media and therefore gained massive popularity with people of all ages.

Personally, it has become of my favourite social media platforms to create and upload with.

Why you may ask?

Well, here’s my top 3 reasons for using TikTok.

1. Communities

While communities have been a thing since almost the beginning of the internet, TikTok is able to take it on a new level by not only developing and growing various communities but also curating new ones of many kinds.

As part of the Anime & Manga community, I absolutely adore the overwhelming support and love I receive from my videos.

I have made so many online friends simply through our love of anime and manga and thus showing off our collections and admiring others’.

There are so many communities on this app that I couldn’t possibly list them all on here.

But that’s what makes TikTok an amazing place to connect and network with people who have the same interests as us.

We’re also able to learn new things about our hobbies and interests as people share information about their respective topics every day.

I love hearing about the latest news within the anime community that I just sometimes don’t have the time to look into or research myself.

People within certain communities are able to reinvent certain trends that don’t exactly pertain to their communities.

I have seen this multiple times through either song-oriented trends or trends that use a particular theft.

It only goes to show how extensive and adaptable communities and trends are within this app.

2. Music

The music catalogue on TikTok is extensive as it has a wide range of popular songs that everyone will be able to create some kind of content with.

To be completely honest, I was surprised that there were so many copyrighted songs on the app when considering the rigorous copyright laws that we have in Australia.

According to TechJunkie, TikTok pays royalties and has struck deals with the companies that produce their respective music in order to make the sounds available to users throughout the world, with some exceptions.

Some of us, including myself, have come across videos where there is no sound and the sound is unavailable to be used due to not having the rights within our country to use it.

Nonetheless, the variety and large range of music available through TikTok is one that is as magnificent as it is easy to use.

Users can easily save a sound or use it immediately to create a video.

Personally, I love that it has all of my favourite anime songs on there that I can use to show off whatever it is I want to show off, use for skits, or just have it in the background when discussing the latest news surrounding the anime and manga community.

3. For You Page

TikTok’s For You Page, like many other social media platforms, is a specifically designed algorithm that sends us content that we may like or similar content to that of which we’ve liked already.

This then formulates the For You Page to show videos of one or more communities within the video-oriented platform.

It allows like-minded audiences and creators to connect and share their passions with one another.

I love that it directs me to accounts or videos that I will most likely enjoy or gain something out of, like information or tips.

For example, my For You Page is mostly anime and manga fans who have created skits, made collections or unboxing videos, and content that surrounds a particular trend or sound.

Though one downfall to the For You Page, like many other social media platforms, is that because it’s designed to only show audiences that content that they want to see, they are only getting such a small percentage of content, therefore narrowing their views and potentially only having certain ideas or ideologies because they’re not being shown other perspectives.

However, this is an issue that isn’t exactly unsolvable as people could search up terms on the search bar if they wanted to get an idea of other viewpoints or communities on TikTok.

This also allows for the algorithm and feed on the For You Page to change, therefore potentially making it very easy to manipulate.

Whilst the For You Page has its downfalls, it is, for the most part, a positive space where people can relate to each other and bond over various topics such as their hobbies, life frustrations or taste in music, just to name a few.

TikTok is, in my opinion, an amazing app that has allowed creators and audiences to easily connect and grow closer to each other within their own communities.

It allows people to advocate for various causes and educate people around the world, it helps people reach out to one another when they’re struggling, it is a safe space for many people, and it is a creative outlet for anyone and everyone.