Introduction
TikTok is a popular app that allows users to create and share short, entertaining videos. This application gained particular popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since grown significantly in both user base and features. The short video duration helps retain users’ attention, and a specially developed algorithm selects personalized recommendations based on people’s interests across different demographics. Moreover, TikTok has had a significant impact on people’s behavior in the online space and on the media industry as a whole. Therefore, this paper analyzes the distinctive characteristics of the application that determine its popularity, as well as the possibilities for its further development.
Background
TikTok has a unique development history and characteristics that set it apart from other apps. The application was launched in 2017 but gained worldwide popularity in 2020-2021 (Schellewald, 2023). Its active development coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, when people were forced to stay at home for extended periods and sought new opportunities for communication and entertainment. The main goal of TikTok was to create a digital platform that allowed users to make and share short 15-second videos for fun and joy (Herrman, 2019). The app quickly gained popularity for its fun, entertaining nature, allowing users to showcase their creativity and engage with music in unique ways.
Creating video content is what sets this application apart from other social networks. While Facebook and Instagram are aimed at sharing photos and text, TikTok has created convenient opportunities for users to create and edit videos (Shutsko, 2020). Despite YouTube already firmly occupying the video content niche, TikTok’s main feature was short-form video creation. This kept users’ attention by quickly updating information and maintaining comprehensive focus (Schellewald, 2021). However, since its launch, the application has significantly increased the number of users and functionality.
The rapid development of the application began in 2020, with international access. TikTok’s growth has been rapid and exponential, with more than 1 billion registered users in 2023 (Schellewald, 2023). This was facilitated by expanding the application’s target audience from teenagers to older age groups and by creating new opportunities for content creation. Today, the app has moved away from the original concept of 15-second lip-sync videos of popular songs to more diverse types of content up to 3 minutes long. Moreover, the application creates opportunities for sharing videos you like, which helps attract new users (Shutsko, 2020). The application creates a unique experience for users through convenient video editing tools and the power of its recommendation algorithm, setting it apart from other platforms and social networks.
Significance
TikTok has had an impact on various aspects of human life and society as a whole. Foremost, the app has changed the nature of publishing and interacting with content. Users can use the audio they like to create their own videos, shoot duets with other creators, leave quick reactions or comments under the content, and share it with friends (Shutsko, 2020). The platform’s interactive, fun nature fosters a sense of community, allowing users to form friendships, collaborate, and even develop romantic relationships. It also enabled long-distance relationships through content sharing and live interactions.
The explanation for TikTok’s rapid popularity is straightforward and logical. The app’s active development illustrates the dynamic nature of the media landscape and how people consume content (Montag et al., 2021). The platform favors short, engaging videos, reflecting the modern preference for short, easily digestible content.
TikTok’s recommendation algorithm, which selects content based on individual preferences, demonstrates how media platforms are evolving to provide personalized content delivery (Montag et al., 2021). This application’s operating principle aligns with current social trends and the fast pace of people’s lives. In addition, despite some fairly common principles for getting into recommendations, such as using popular tracks, this algorithm is, in general, quite complex. This contributes to the fact that often, user-generated videos without a large audience gain millions of views and go viral (Herrman, 2019). This motivates others to create more content to promote their personal brand, products, and ideas, and to grow their follower base.
Moreover, TikTok has generally had a positive impact on broader social trends, attracting a broad audience to issues of physical and mental health, ecology, inequality, and other global issues. First, the variety of content provided people with entertainment and a way to escape reality during the pandemic, which, for many, became a means to maintain mental health (Anderson, 2020).
In addition, consuming content that has the potential to interest users increases their engagement and promotes relaxation (Montag et al., 2021). Like any other social network, this platform does not eliminate the risks of overuse or cyberbullying. However, advanced algorithms monitor and remove offensive content, thereby maintaining a positive overall environment for users.
Secondly, many opinion leaders and social activists use the app to spread information and educate the public quickly. Users can access quick workouts, nutrition tips, and mental health resources (Anderson, 2020). This has inspired many to adopt healthier lifestyles, demonstrating the platform’s potential to improve physical health.
Moreover, TikTok can serve as a source of information on important political, economic, and environmental issues. Due to the simple form of communication and the time constraints of videos, users are more likely to pay attention to the content (Montag et al., 2021). This helps raise public awareness of existing problems and creates the potential for collective solutions.
In addition, TikTok has revolutionized media and significantly reshaped the entire media landscape. It allows users to find their audience faster through algorithms and automatic promotion of videos based on areas of interest (Schellewald, 2021). This has led to the emergence of new opinion leaders and an increase in the popularity of singers, artists, and other creative personalities.
However, users’ desire to trend on TikTok often leads to the creation of duplicate content, which has negatively impacted trends in the music and fashion industries, making them somewhat monotonous. Moreover, TikTok’s features are being actively adopted by other platforms to align content with user requirements better. For example, YouTube and Instagram have adopted the ability to create short videos to attract more people. This demonstrates the changing social dynamics and user behavior in the online space (Schellewald, 2023). Capturing audience attention has become much harder due to the variety of content, which is why many companies and individuals use short, flashy videos with catchy music to attract users.
Today, the platform continues to develop actively, expanding its audience and user opportunities. This creates the potential for TikTok to maintain and increase its influence in the media space. Its deep understanding of human psychology has enabled the app to reach a broad audience (Montag et al., 2021). At the same time, it has led to significant changes in user behavior and preferences in the digital space. This is forcing many companies to adapt their marketing strategies and use the platform to promote their brands effectively.
Moreover, with a strong niche in entertainment apps and a large audience, TikTok is likely to continue its influence on culture, including music, fashion, and social trends. Today, the app is one of the primary sources of cultural trends for users aged 15 to 50, regardless of gender or social status (Schellewald, 2023). Therefore, TikTok has significant potential to remain a key factor in cultural evolution in the digital age.
Conclusion
To summarize, TikTok is one of the most popular social networks today, with users of all ages. This application’s versatility, together with clear functionality and algorithms for selecting recommended videos, is one of the key factors driving its development and growth. Originally conceived as a platform for sharing video content, TikTok has significantly expanded users’ possibilities, creating a unique experience and growing its audience.
The content’s comprehensive focus ensures not only entertainment but also education, increasing the audience’s interest and attention to important issues and shaping social trends. This is one of the reasons for the app’s diverse user base, where everyone can find content that’s optimal for them. Moreover, focusing on short videos keeps users engaged and encourages active engagement with the content. The active development of TikTok has influenced the media space, changing people’s behavior and creating new opportunities and challenges for businesses.
References
Anderson, K. E. (2020). Getting acquainted with social networks and apps: it is time to talk about TikTok. Library Hi Tech News, 37(4), 7-12.
Herrman, G. (2019, March 10). How TikTok is rewriting the world. The New York Times.
Montag, C., Yang, H., & Elhai, J. D. (2021). On the psychology of TikTok use: A first glimpse from empirical findings. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 1-6.
Schellewald, A. (2021). Communicative forms on TikTok: Perspectives from digital ethnography. International Journal of Communication, 15, 1-21.
Schellewald, A. (2023). Understanding the popularity and affordances of TikTok through user experiences. Media, Culture & Society, 45(8), 1568-1582.
Shutsko, A. (2020). User-generated short video content in social media. A case study of TikTok. In G. Meiselwitz (Ed.), Social computing and social media. Participation, user experience, consumer experience, and applications of social computing (pp. 108-125). Springer International Publishing.