I joined TikTok back in 2019, expecting a slightly more “grown up” version of Musical.ly. That is exactly what I got. The time when Charli D’amelio went viral for dancing and we witnessed the rise “straight tok vs. alt tok”, VSCO girl summer, oversized tees, scrunchies, and Kombucha girl (Brittany Broski I love you). I would get on TikTok in the evenings before bed, and scroll for about 30 minutes or so until it was time to put it down. It was relaxing, I almost always got a good laugh, and never found myself doom scrolling until 4 am.

TikTok as we know it today is far different than the platform it first began as. Yes, it virtually serves the same function- posting short form content in the form of videos and photos, but over time it became centered around influencer culture and the promotion of products.

The For You Page

Since TikTok was a platform designed to share short form content, users would be exposed to a larger range of creators and posts in a 30 minute window, than they would be on any other platform, such as Instagram or Youtube. While Instagram also promotes short form content and posting pictures, most users utilize the platform to share and view posts with their friends and family. Instagram also has their fair share of influencers, but you are less likely to run into influencers on your explore page than you would on TikTok.

TikTok created a near perfect formula to keep people on the app for as long as possible. They only allowed short form content to be posted. Trending audios could easily be shared and attached to videos, and the For You Page curated the perfect algorithm. The For You Page is where users would spend the majority of their time. When you first open the app, you are brought directly to the For You Page, which would curate an algorithm that matches your interests, creators you follow, and posts that you interact with. The algorithm also favored virality, pushing videos to gain millions and millions of likes.

From Viral Video to Overnight Sensation

Going viral once used to get you on Ellen, but on TikTok you could get 4 million views and gain no followers. In order to truly build a large audience quickly, you had to be consistent and continue to go viral on each post. With each post, you are at the algorithm’s whim.

I can still remember the rise of “TikTok Stars”. From what I can remember, Charli D’amelio was the first major influencer who found their start on TikTok. Many of the other large users on TikTok like, Quenlin Blackwell first found her fame on Vine. D’amelio was brought onto TV interviews, got countless brand deals and sponsorships, and ultimately got her own reality TV show about her and her family. After that, it seemed like becoming a viral TikTok star was easy. Dozens followed in her footsteps, gaining fame from dancing or lip syncing to audios, or simply being attractive. The way people posted on TikTok very quickly changed. You were no longer posting a video because you found it funny or interesting, now you’re posting the video in hopes of going viral, and ultimately becoming a star.

2020

Things on Tik Tok began to change directions in 2020. As we are aware, during 2020 we experienced a national lockdown due to COVID. During that time people were stuck at home, out of work, with pretty much nothing to do. Where did people go? Online. Everyone’s screentime skyrocketed, including mine. I went from spending 4-6 hours/day in front of a screen (TV and computer included) to spending 10+ hours/day during lock down. I was watching TV, playing Animal Crossing on my Switch, watching Youtube commentary videos, and spending endless hours scrolling on TikTok. It felt like I was always on TikTok. I wasn’t alone in this.

If you weren’t scrolling on TikTok, you were posting. There was such a rise of influencers during this period. Posting “POVs”, or Point of View TikToks, was an incredibly popular, yet cringe, niche. I also remember seeing a lot of haul videos on my For You Page, which didn’t make much sense to me since the majority of people were out of work. There was no shortage of content to view during this period. Even though videos were no longer than one minute, users still managed to spend hours upon hours on the app. It truly felt addictive.

BLM and the Rise of TikTok News

I do not plan on writing much on this period in time and part of history because there are dozens of articles that are far more nuanced than I could write. While I may not be able to speak to all of the intricacies and the effect that social media had on the BLM movement, I can speak about how it changed the direction of TikTok.

Prior to the rise of the BLM movement on TikTok, the app was primarily used to share videos that included dancing, lip syncing, acting, singing, and funny moments caught on camera. These videos quickly gained virality and fame, making stars and influencers. TikTok became one of the top sources of news. There people were posting their experiences in real time and were exposed to media that they otherwise would not have seen. The news cycle could not move as quickly as TikTok. The information was easy to access, share, and download. News outlets often have a political bias, while on TikTok you would watch videos of first hand experiences without the political context hanging over it. It was real, it was raw, and it was happening right before our eyes.

From that point forward, TikTok became a platform that promoted free speech. The For You Page exposed users to information and media that they wouldn’t find on any other media source or news site. Whenever there was breaking news, I was more likely to hear it through a TikTok user than anyone else. Later in time, this way of spreading information became slightly problematic because people would watch videos without context and jump to conclusions.

Get Ready With Me (GRWM): The Influencer Staple

“Get ready with me” videos are nothing new to the internet. They were often posted on Youtube by beauty influencers, who would walk viewers through the steps of their routine. On Youtube the GRWM videos were in depth, giving specific instructions on how to do your eyeliner or pin up your curls. On TikTok, GRWM became a whole other beast.

In 2022, users of TikTok began to share their GRWM videos, in which they would do their makeup and talk about their day, what they have planned, or drama going on in their life. To me it felt like if the story-time and makeup tutorial videos of Youtube had a baby. Users who posted GRWM videos would often showcase the products they were using and give a quick review or endorsement. Countless influencers found their initial success through posting GRWM videos including Alix Earle and Monet McMichael. GRWM videos were equaling appealing to viewers and brands.

Influencing is Lucrative

For viewers, GRWM videos felt more personal than a traditional product review or daily vlog. You were invited into their space, listening to information about their day, plans, or drama, and watched them apply their makeup flawlessly. Viewers would aspire to not only look like the influencers, but to experience their success as well.

Brands became increasingly more interested in GRWM videos as viewers felt more and more connected to the influencers. If viewers think that specific product is what makes them look so perfect, wouldn’t they want to purchase it? Let the PR and sponsorships begin. Brands were sending out dozens and dozens of products to influencers in hopes that they would be featured in a GRWM video. When influencers had consistent success with one brand, then they would have the opportunity to gain a sponsorship or affiliate code with the company. It’s a win win situation, right?

I feel like the start of the GRWM sponsorships was the beginning of the end for TikTok influencing. Recording a GRWM was relatively easy. All you needed was some makeup, an interesting story, a camera, and yourself. Easy to record, easy to edit, and easy to post. Anyone can do it! But what happens when everyone wants to be an influencer? The global influencer market value is estimated to be around $21 billion. Everyone wants a piece of that! It seems like there is enough to go around- and there is, money wise.

The New Currency is Attention

As more and more people aspired to become an influencer, people began to realize there simply is not enough to go around. Attention is the new currency, and there is too much supply for the demand. Viewers can only spend so many hours a day watching TikToks, and it is often during the period they reserve for winding down at the end of the day.

Whenever I am on social media, I get on to relax, unwind, and take my mind off of real life responsibilities. I have found that when it is time to relax, I don’t want to go through the mental effort of finding another creator or influencer to watch. Sure, it can be fun to find new influencers or creators you like but more often than not you have to familiarize yourself with their backstory, their lore if you will, and find if you are a fit for their audience. What does their content provide for you? Am I learning anything? Am I laughing? Am I enjoying myself? Is this something I am interested in? More often than not, the content I see online do not fit into the category of things I like.

Selfish Content does not Connect with Viewers

I can’t remember where I first saw it, but a woman online stated that most aspiring influencers are posting selfish content. Of course you should post what you want and what makes you happy, but you should not expect people to be drawn to content that does not offer anything or benefit the viewer in anyway.

GRWM videos only work if the creator is able to provide an interesting story, advice, or an escape from reality. In the kindest way possible, I am not always in the mood to listen to someone complain about issues that I deal with everyday.

I believe many aspiring influencers who post videos of that sort are doing their best to be relatable, but unfortunately there is a fine line between relatable and mundane. For example, a relatable GRWM video will detail something along the lines of “Today I was trying to walk into a store and accidentally ran into a glass window”. Not exactly in those words, but it is something embarrassing we have all done, that later becomes a funny story. A mundane, and frankly boring, GRWM video would likely detail a story like this “Today I had a professor go over the time so I was late to my next class and had to run across campus”. Sure, it is relatable, but it also does not evoke emotion from most viewers as it happens frequently.

Everyone gets on TikTok in hopes of receiving something. Whether they are aiming to receive fame, clout, entertainment, a laugh, valuable information, meaningful conversations, connection, community, hope, and sometimes vengeance, everyone is looking for something. When posting on TikTok you want to be sure that you are posting something with merit. People want to see something interesting or something that evokes emotion- any emotion.

TikTok Shop: The Beginning of the End

Before TikTok shop was integrated into the app, users were already growing fatigued of influencers. You could not get on the app without seeing an influencer pushing a product without providing any meaningful information. Before it felt like everyone was fighting for my attention, now it feels like everyone is fighting for my attention and money. Viral this, viral that, suddenly every product was viral and a must have.

Once TikTok shop was introduced to the app, it felt like every video earned commission and had products tagged. I could not scroll for 2 minutes before a video about some new “viral must-have” product being pushed in my face. I lost all my trust in any influencer who tagged a product on TikTok shop and earned commission. The review would always feel very fake and inauthentic.

Probably the most annoying part about TikTok shop is that you literally can’t get rid of it. I tried filtering out posts that included the phrase “TikTok Shop” yet almost every video I viewed had “TikTok Shop” written in the caption and was tagged to earn commission. This does not even begin to touch on TikTok Live shops.

TikTok Shop Live

TikTok live is a rabbit hole I simply do not have the energy to write about. From the “AI” trend to people fighting for money on live- to me it is just far too overstimulating. TikTok live always feels like a cash grab. When creators are on live, viewers can send them different prizes or gifts that are worth a dollar amount. Many live creators were making thousands of dollars per live by pandering to their audience’s desires.

But TikTok Shop Live creators and stores are a whole different rodeo. It genuinely feels like QVC: lightning round. They are always hosting “flash sales” that make people feel the need to make impulse purchases, they barely show the products, and spend their time pushing and pushing to make a purchase. TikTok Shop lives are not limited to large creators and businesses, if you have 1000 followers you can go live and attach a product from TikTok Shop. It is exhausting. People simply do not have the time, money, patience, or attention for all of the content to consume on TikTok.

The Crash Out

If you ask me, even if TikTok for some reason isn’t banned on January 19th, I think it is nearing the end of its prime. People are tired. I don’t want to get into it, but we all know our country is kinda a mess right now. People are struggling to get jobs, money is tight, the housing market is a disaster, everyone feels disconnected, and we are overworked. Getting online used to be a short break from this world. Just watch some dog videos, maybe a makeup tutorial or something, and take your mind off of your responsibilities. When you get online now you are bombarded by news from across the globe or see people flaunting their wealth or have products shoved in your face.

I am not saying it is good to stay ignorant from everything going on worldwide, but we were not meant to consume the amount of media we do everyday. We are overstimulated and spending so much of our time worrying about factors that we have no control of. It feels like the world is ending. The good news is always drowned out by the bad, and we are just beginning to feel hopeless. Yet, we can’t stop scrolling.

It has become an addiction. People are scrolling through dozens of videos that make you angry or upset but then feel accomplished when you stumble across the one video that will make you smile. No matter how bad we want to stop scrolling and go out- and I don’t know, touch some grass- we just can’t seem to put the phone down. It is a train wreck and we can’t look away.

Stepping Back

I did look away. After a certain event happened the first week of November, I knew I would doom scroll my way into despair if I kept social media on my phone. So I deleted all of my social media. The first day, I felt this weird itch to scroll and was uncomfortable with sitting with myself. As the week progressed, I began to feel more relaxed. My mind felt quiet, I felt at peace, and I was able to fall asleep easily for the first time in weeks. Did I have some FOMO? Sure, but I felt balanced. I had more time to focus on school work and time for my hobbies

I certainly do not agree with the reasoning behind banning TikTok and I think it is a waste of government time and resources (not to mention wasting taxpayer dollars). Yet, I do not think it will be the end all, be all. We have lived life prior to TikTok and I am sure we will find our way back to life without TikTok. Honestly, I think it will be good for a lot of people to be detoxed from the constant cycle of scrolling. It is not healthy to spend that amount of time online.

Real life is not, and never will, be behind a screen. After COVID, we all became hermits. We experience less human interaction, and we feel less motivated to do small acts of kindness or selflessness because “it’s not my responsibility”. No, it is not your responsibility, but it is a show of character. The internet can function as a community of sorts, but it is also extremely isolating. Life must go on while the screen is off.

My Final Thoughts? It Will Be Okay.

I know this entire post has been a bit pessimistic but that is simply because I don’t think our future lies in technology. We invented technology to help us get through life, not control it. TikTok has gotten out of hand, and I think we all need a break. I’ve gone through all of this and have barely scratched the surface. We didn’t even discuss beauty standards and how they promote body image issues, the increasing amount of loneliness, people that are stuck in echo chambers, and topics that I’m sure I don’t even know of!

TikTok was good for a while. It was a great source of entertainment and became a great place to find first hand sources and news, but it has passed its golden age. People won’t stop posting on the internet, and I’m not saying we should. Hello- I have a blog. I love to share my thoughts and opinions online. I just think we have been overstimulated and exposed to far too much information. If we keep going, we all might just spontaneously combust.

If TikTok gets banned, as we all expect it will, everything will be alright. Find new hobbies, hang out with friends, surround yourself with loved ones.

We have wasted so much of our lives watching other people live, it is time for you to put the phone down and live your own life.

Take care of yourself, love those around you, and find one thing to be happy about today. See you soon.