Raymond Melo
May 3, 2023
LWP-1000
Has Tik Tok Cemented Itself In Our Culture
You might be reading the title and think there is an obvious answer to this question. I thought there was too, but you can get to the right answer without knowing how you got there, so it is important to investigate. The obvious answer would be yes, It has cemented itself into our culture at this point, and for the foreseeable future won't be going anywhere, but what made me interested in this prompt to begin with was we have seen this format before. Twitter had Vine (2013-2017), There was Musical.ly (2014-2017) until ByteDance, a Chinese tech company, bought it out to take the technology and its current user base which later formed into Tik Tok. We had pre-2012 Youtube, which was just a compilation of short-form viral videos we were tortured with for years with hits like Nyan Cat and “Charlie Bit My Finger”. We even had GIFS before all of this, so Tik Tok is not reinventing the wheel here, but somehow got the wheel to spin harder and faster than anyone else. One of the main reasons for this is its algorithm.
The Algorithm
One of the key factors that the TikTok algorithm takes into account is watch time. When a user opens the TikTok app, they are presented with a feed of short-form videos that have been curated based on their interests and viewing history. Now this is not a new thing, but TikTok is unique in that its algorithm can craft other people's feeds with similar interests based on yours. If a user spends a long time watching a particular video, the algorithm interprets this as a sign that the user is interested in the content and is likely to engage with it further. If you are likely to engage with it further, the odds of people with similar interests and viewing history as you will too are high. Videos that receive high levels of engagement, such as likes, comments, and shares, are also more likely to be recommended to other users. User value, long-term user value, platform value and creator value are the main focuses of the algorithm, as stated from the company itself and its hitting all targets. The actual content creation is easy and addictive, which keeps a user-base highly interactive. 
Shown above is the increase in advertisement revenue for TikTok since 2019. This coming year is projected to be their slowest increase since 2020, a mere 5 billion (I almost fainted typing that). The money is showing their format is working, companies are confident throwing billions at them knowing billions of eyeballs will be seeing their product. Imitation is the biggest form of flattery, and every tech giant is racing to imitate TikTok’s format.
Those are screenshots from “Instagram Reels”, “Snapchat Spotlight”, and “Youtube Shorts”. These are the three biggest attempts at rivaling TikTok but at the end of the day, they do not have the same hardware. Youtube is seeing success with their shorts feature after monetizing them greatly, but still nothing to rival TikTok. Besides its algorithm, another way TikTok has been so prevalent in our culture is its effect on gaming, movies and music.
Gaming, Music, and Movies
We all first realized the power TikTok can have in multimedia is the sky-rocketing of Among Us in 2020. Among Us became a viral sensation on TikTok, with users sharing gameplay clips, creating memes, and promoting the game to their followers. This helped to drive a massive surge in interest in the game, which quickly became one of the most popular games of the year, with millions of players around the world. This led to millions of dollars grossed through console/PC releases of the game, in game items, merch and more. With the game's popularity many creators on the platform gained their own popularity and branched off into other endeavors, creating a new generation of gaming influencers and content creators. With its massive user base and growing influence, TikTok has provided a platform for gamers to build their brands and connect with fans in new and innovative ways. Many gamers have leveraged TikTok to build large followings, create engaging content, and collaborate with other creators and even do sponsored reviews of games. TikTok has also influenced the gaming industry as a whole. Developers and publishers are increasingly recognizing the value of TikTok as a marketing and promotional tool, using the platform to showcase new games and content, build hype and anticipation, and connect with fans and potential customers. Some developers have even created games specifically designed to be shared and promoted on TikTok, such as the popular game "Split or Steal," which challenges players to make strategic choices that can be shared as short-form videos on the platform. The popular mobile game “Subway Surfers” which is more than a decade into its lifespan has seen a massive resurgence due to TikTok as well. Many creators now add Subway Surfers gameplay to the bottom of their videos, unrelated to the content, just to boost their engagement and it works. Even if you do not care about what is being said, you might catch yourself zoning out to some gameplay and before you know it, you finished the video. The game has surpassed 4 billion downloads and the player base on TikTok went from 6.9 million to 31 million in a short amount of time and is only increasing as of now. Clips from these games are turned into memes or highlight certain cutscenes to garner interest, we see this with movies more than ever. Once a popular superhero movie comes out, you will see thousands of TikToks breaking down scenes, easter eggs, and making predictions for the next movies and this is free promotion, You are almost shooting yourself in the foot now if you are not planting “reviewer bait” in your art, you can double your profit if the right people make videos on it. Morbius, Sony and Marvel’s failure child, was given a second breath of life as a meme after bombing to critics and fans alike after many memes going viral. The memes became so popular online, people began going to the theater to see the movie as a joke, like The Room but way more artificial and less charming. The studio leaned into the memes, almost accepting their failure which led to a second run in theaters. It grossed 300,000 dollars in the second run, not a significant amount but the memes were powerful enough to even make a second run happen. The movie overall grossed 167.6 million dollars against a 85 million dollar budget. For a studio and IP of this size, this is typically seen as a failure in the movie industry but yet they were able to at the very minimum break even (not even accounting DVD sales for the coming years and streams). The biggest movie studios were able to get away with shoveling garbage in our face because we found it silly for a month, and this can become a trend. The medium TikTok has left its mark in the most has been music. TikTok has affected the music industry through its ability to create viral trends and challenges. TikTok users have been responsible for creating numerous viral music trends, such as the "Renegade" dance craze, which helped to propel the song "Lottery (Renegade)" by K Camp to the top of the charts. Other songs, such as "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X and "Say So" by Doja Cat, have also become massive hits thanks to their popularity on TikTok and accompanying dances. This has led to some tension, where smaller creators are the ones who create these dances and challenges but the larger creators on the platform reap the benefits. This has been seen with many smaller black dancers on TikTok. There are many instances where these creators would choreograph a dance, then a creator like Charli D’Amelio or a creator similar in size will see it, replicate the dance without giving credit, then it is now known as their dance. With what we know about the TikTok algorithm, they push popular creators because odds are more people will happen to be fans of them on the platform, so you aren't rewarded with being the first, you are rewarded for being the most popular person to replicate something. TikTok has also become a powerful tool for promoting new and emerging artists. With its algorithmic approach to content discovery and its ability to showcase new and undiscovered talent, TikTok has helped to launch the careers of numerous artists, such as Olivia Rodrigo, who gained millions of fans on TikTok before releasing her hit single "Drivers License." The app has also helped to promote artists from around the world, creating a more diverse and global music landscape. This has also changed peoples music taste and in some cases it has shown people types of music they would have never heard or liked otherwise. Music genres like “Hyperpop” and underground rap are gaining very dedicated fan bases to the point they can stay independent. Or their popularity on the app gets them real life record deals that propel their careers. TikTok has also begun paying artist royalties for their music being streamed on TikTok like Apple Music, Spotify and other streaming platforms. This leads to the incentive to make “TikTok Music” over what they actually want to create. Minute long songs are being made with the idea that only 10 seconds of the song needs to be catchy or relatable enough to spur videos or dances being made. Now that we see how TikTok affects multimedias, is it affecting us?
The Effects and Difference Between Chinese TikTok
There have been studies shown that the short-form media structure and information overload is leading to a collective shrinking attention span from researchers like the American Psychological Association. Studies liken TikTok to a “candy store” for the adolescent brain. Well if the algorithm is causing these problems, it must be the same for everyone right? Wrong. It was recently discovered that the algorithm for TikTok in America is very different from the one in China. One of the primary differences between the TikTok algorithm in America and China is the way that the algorithm prioritizes content. In China, the algorithm tends to prioritize content that promotes social harmony and stability, while also promoting content that aligns with the Chinese government's values and policies. This means that content that is critical of the government or promotes ideas that are deemed unacceptable by the government are less likely to be recommended to users. This is obviously due to the difference of freedoms afforded to our citizens, but they also boost more positive content on their algorithm. They promote science experiments you can do at home, or great instrument playing and limit the amount of time you can engage with the app if you are under 14. Ours is geared to do the opposite. In America on the other hand, the TikTok algorithm prioritizes content that is engaging and likely to keep users on the app for longer periods of time. This means that the algorithm is designed to promote content that is likely to go viral, such as challenges, dances, and other trends. Negative or not, if it's gonna get clicks and engagement, it's getting promoted. The algorithm also takes into account factors such as watch time, likes, comments, and shares, in order to determine what content is most popular and likely to be recommended to other users. Another key difference between the TikTok algorithm in America and China is the way that the app handles user data and privacy. In China, the government has a significant amount of control over the app and the data that it collects from users. This has led to concerns about the app's privacy practices and the potential for the Chinese government to use the app to gather information about its citizens. This is what led to the CEO of TikTok, Shou Zi Chew, to have to appear before congress for questioning. In America, TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance but operates as a separate entity. The app is required to adhere to American data privacy laws and regulations, and has faced scrutiny from American lawmakers over its data collection practices. In response to these concerns, TikTok has implemented various measures to protect user data, such as storing American user data in the United States and appointing an American CEO to oversee the app's operations. I think these are the measures that's gonna allow TikTok to remain available in America for the foreseeable future.
Has It Cemented Itself?
Yes, it might have taken a couple tries but this format is gold and I foresee TikTok staying around for the long haul. I personally do not use TikTok myself and I had a very negative stance on it, but downloading it and using it for myself while also going through all the data I see is why it is so popular. Even if I do not continue using TikTok, my life will continue to be affected by TikTok. This is through the movies I watch, the video games I play, the music I listen to, and all the friends I have who continue to send me TikToks, knowing I don't have the app. I could try hard to ignore it and block it out, but it would be ignorant because at this point in time, TikTok has a solid grasp on culture right now. To ignore TikTok and the influence it has is to ignore the world changing and I found that out through working on this project. How I felt about TikTok is probably how people felt about the tape killing the vinyl, the CD killing the tape, and streaming killing the CD. You rebuke the change at first, until you realize it is here to stay, and TikTok is here to stay.
Sources Cited
- Oberlo. "TikTok Ad Revenue Statistics (2021): Users, Demographics, & More." Oberlo, n.d., https://www.oberlo.com/statistics/tiktok-ad-revenue#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20latest%20data,fastest%2Dgrowing%20social%20media%20platform.
- Armstrong, Kate. "Put a finger down if you know this song: How TikTok music challenges memes to build community." The Conversation, 14 June 2021, https://theconversation.com/put-a-finger-down-if-you-know-this-song-how-tiktok-music-challenge-memes-build-community-201385.
- Weiss, Geoff. "TikTok Users Watch More YouTube Than Any Other Social Media Users, Study Finds." TubeFilter, 11 May 2022, https://www.tubefilter.com/2022/05/11/tiktok-youtube-watch-time-ad-revenue-emarketer-study/.
- Fawkes, Joelle. "TikTok will surpass YouTube in US viewership by 2022." Insider Intelligence, 14 June 2021, https://www.insiderintelligence.com/content/tiktok-surpass-youtube.
- Data.ai. "Evolution of Social Media Report." Data.ai, n.d., https://www.data.ai/en/insights/market-data/evolution-of-social-media-report/.
- TikTok for Business. "TikTok Made Me Play It: Supercharging Game Discovery." TikTok for Business, n.d., https://www.tiktok.com/business/en-US/blog/tiktok-made-me-play-it-supercharging-game-discovery.
- Levin, Josh. "TikTok's impact on children's brains likened to candy store." New York Post, 8 April 2022, https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/tiktoks-impact-on-childrens-brains-likened-to-candy-store/.
- Game Quitters. "TikTok & The Brain: The Impact of Short-Form Video on Our Mental Health." Game Quitters, n.d., https://gamequitters.com/tiktok-brain/#:~:text=The%20impact%20of%20TikTok%20dopamine,family%20conflict%20and%20social%20isolation