The Tik Tok Takeover

It is time for family dinner once again. As my siblings and I sit down, we start to talk. 

“Charli D’amelio is losing her hype.” 

“Bryce Hall cheated on Addison Rae.” 

“Noah Beck got cancelled.” Who are these new household names? To the average teen who has found themselves thrown into the limelight on the social media platform, TikTok, these are the influencers on media today. With over one billion users and celebrities like Kylie Jenner, Justin Beiber, and even Reese Witherspoon populating the app, TikTok was the most downloaded app of 2020. It is something people all over the world found themselves using during quarantine. Who would have thought making 15-60 second videos would become so popular?

“Mom can I get LED lights for my room?”

“Why do you want those?”

“TikTok.”

“Mom can I get curtain bangs?” 

“What are those?”

‘I saw them on TikTok…” 

“ Can we make whipped coffee?”

“Let me guess, TikTok?” 

TikTok, TikTok, TikTok, it’s all from TikTok. If TikTok megastar, Charli D’amelio, started wearing a potato sack every day, there would probably be thousands of other people doing the same. While it may seem silly, TikTokers are a force to be reckoned with. 

For most people, Tiktok has brought them a sense of joy and for others a source of income for their families. One Idaho native named Nathan Apodaca, in particular, experienced a life-changing surprise through the app. Back in late September, Apodaca’s car broke down while he was headed to work at a potato factory. He needed to get to his job so he hopped on a skateboard and rode down the highway with a bottle of Ocean Spray’s Cran-Raspberry in hand. Apodaca shared the positive, morning vibes on TikTok while lip-syncing to the song Dreams by Fleetwood Mac. Nathan became an overnight sensation with millions of others busting out their skateboards and buying cran-raspberry to participate in the trend. Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks even joined in on the fun. With his newfound fame, Apodaca was able to purchase himself a home and Ocean Spray rewarded him with a new truck. All because of a 15-second video, his life changed for the better.

Currently, the latest trend that the world is buzzing about is a feta cheese pasta recipe. A blogger from Finland had made the recipe back in 2019, but it was TikTok that brought it to social media headlines. My family has enjoyed the pasta many times and we even refer to it as “TikTok Pasta”. It would be impossible for me to run through all of the trends on the app because they come and go very fast. For a couple of days, the trend will be the only content that appears on the “For You Page” which is TikTok’s way of sharing content. Then the trend fades away and there’s a new craze taking over. 

TikTokers have also made their way into politics. In June 2020, a large group of teens from Tiktok sabotaged former President Donald Trump’s rally in Tulsa. They purchased tickets for the rally with plans to not show up and embarrass the president. Nearly one hundred thousand tickets were bought and those seats were left open. That is something that has never been done before. Teenagers, some who aren’t even eligible to vote, had input in a presidential campaign. 

There is no doubt of the power TikTok has. It’s uncommon for many, at least myself, to get bored of it because of the diversity of people and variety of content.  The app also has something for everyone, whether it be lifestyle videos, hair, Star Wars, animals, and so on. It’s easy to immerse yourself in the things you like. The platform has formed communities, spread awareness for global struggles, and changed lives. As of February 2021, TikTok has a whopping net worth of 50 billion dollars that is expected to rise as the year goes on. With that in mind, the app’s platform is only going to grow larger, become more advanced, and it will be around for quite some time. 

Sorry… I gotta go. My TikTok pasta is ready.