Article by Anna Johns, Reporter
Photo courtesy of Canva

Stop to take a look into TikTok and what makes the app so addicting.

TikTok is one of the fastest-growing social media platforms today. Currently, the app has over 800 million users and has recently become available in 155 countries and 75 languages. TikTok is a social media platform that features short user-created videos. The platform is very similar to those of Vine and YouTube. 

I am ashamed to admit that I caved and downloaded the app. Like most, I have found myself endlessly scrolling the platform for hours.

One of the reasons I think TikTok is so successful is because of Vine. Vine was an American social media platform where users shared 6-second videos. The app was around from 2013 until it shut down in 2017. When I watch TikToks, I can often see the inspiration from Vines. The comedy on Vine was quick and usually had a very sarcastic or satirical tone.  

It’s said that the reason Vine died out was because the app didn’t generate any revenue. TikTok has seemed to eliminate that problem by the addition of advertising to the platform. Many well-known companies advertise on the platform from GrubHub to Colourpop. The advertisements often blend in with user-generated videos and incorporate popular trends and memes. This makes them relatable to the users of the platform. 

The big question surrounds the fate of TikTok. Some wonder if the beloved app will suffer the same fate as Vine. Personally I believe that only time can answer that question. However, as of now, the platform seems to have a strong foundation of users and I believe will continue to grow over the upcoming years.