When the popular six-second video app, Vine, shut down in 2017, social media fanatics were enraged. How were they going to survive without an endless influx of totally useless, hilarious and sometimes bizarre content? It seemed as if millennials and Gen Zers alike would have to rely on 30-minute Vine compilations on YouTube until the day they die.
The social networking company Byte Dance believed they had the answer when they purchased TikTok (formerly Musical.ly) in 2017 about 10 months after Vine shut down. The app we now know as TikTok was once used solely for niche lip-syncing videos, but three years later, TikTok has become an addiction with content that appeals to nearly everyone. Comedy? Check. Dancing? Check. Oddly specific, slightly depressing “relatable teen” posts that make you feel like you’re not alone in the world? Check.
Stern first-year Veronica Sandoval is one student who recently got sucked into the TikTok fad.
“I used to make fun of my friends for having TikTok, but I got addicted over the break,” she said. “I love seeing funny TikToks, but the e-boys who just dance kind of freak me out.”
Similar to how YouTube’s elite formed cliques like Team 10 or Vlog Squad, the teen sensations of TikTok have formed “houses,” one of the most notable is the Hype House. Members of the Hype House, such as Charli D’Amelio and Chase “LilHuddy” Hudson, have millions of followers.
CAS first-year Savannah Mota is a TikToker who does not approve of the Hype House.
“The videos I see from the Hype House seem really played out,” she said. “It’s tiring to see people who are already so rich profiting off of just dancing, especially with such a lack of diversity. No hate, though!”
In addition to comedy, TikTok is also famous for its niche dances. A few popular ones include “Renegade,” “Say So” and “Get Up.” Usually, these dances tend to be a combination of specific upper-body movements, such as hitting the “woah” and then waving your hands in the air like a cowboy, rather than a choreographed dance routine.
Steinhardt first-year Lexi Wolf is also a TikToker who recently hit 1,000 followers on the app. She said that she does not have a problem with this trending new social media platform.
“[The dances are] fun to learn, and you get some exercise out of it — I see no downside,” she said. “I don’t post dancing videos, though, because I don’t want to make a fool out of myself.”
As the majority of TikTok users are high school or even middle school students, many NYU students still have not bought into TikTok’s hype. And this may not be a bad thing because while the app is known for having an algorithm tailored for each user, it can possibly become addicting scrolling through an endless feed of entertainment.
TikTok’s probable addictive aspect is why CAS sophomore Kathrine Serebrianski is not climbing on board with the trend.
“I haven’t downloaded TikTok because I know it’s addicting, and I spend so much time on social media already,” she said. “You can still find TikToks on Instagram, anyway.”
According to a recent Sensor Tower report, TikTok was America’s second-most downloaded app in 2019 ahead of Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat and just behind Disney+.
Unfortunately for the vehement anti-TikTokers, TikTok’s growing popularity most likely means that the app may soon give YouTube and Snapchat a run for their money. Whether you’re trying to be the next Charli D’Amelio or just tired of your friends spamming you with TikToks 24/7, you probably won’t stop seeing people doing the “223” for a while.
A version of this article appears in the Monday, Feb. 2, 2020, print edition. Email Gaby Baldovino at [email protected].
