Why Is TikTok So Popuar?

Research

Aug 23

Here’s everything you need to know.

Woman filming a video on her phone — *A woman filming a video on her phone*

TikTok is the app of the moment. It was created in 2016, then renamed and fully rebranded in 2017. After that, it was an international success. Its slogan, “Make every second count,” nods to the rising popularity of the short video industry.

Even amid concerns that TikTok will be banned in various countries, its popularity lives on.

TikTok’s global success has been unprecedented, behind only Zoom and Peacock. It went from 12.5261 million users in 2018 to 2 billion by 2020! There are over 1.04 billion active TikTok users today! Most of its users are young, between 18 and 34, catering to an online audience craving lively entertainment and high stimulus.

Curious about TikTok’s smashing success, researchers Li Xu, Xiaohui Yan, and Zhengwu Zhang looked into the platform from all angles.

How Does TikTok Work?

The average TikTok video is around 35 seconds long, and the current maximum length is 10 minutes. Each video is built from a background phrase or song, motion editing, and special effects processing.

The simple, replicable format of TikTok has led to countless trends on the platform that filter into other platforms with short video capabilities—like Instagram with its Reels function. This increases the audience of the videos, spreading trends even further.

The background music of TikTok videos is the starting point for these trends and has developed a distinctive music community. There are even playlists on apps like Spotify dedicated to songs trending on TikTok.

Man dancing by enlarged phone — **6 Benefits of TikTok**
TikTok has a lot going for its users and creators! It came into the picture at the prime time—during new heights of technological advancement and distribution.
You have to enter the **real world** to make content.
It’s a great place for **brands** to share their authentic, unique message.
You can **engage** easily with your audience.
TikTok has huge **viral potential** for companies and brands.
There are lots of **positive communities** on TikTok.
TikTok can **educate. (**Just make sure to fact-check)

5 Disadvantages of TikTok

Addiction and overuse: TikTok was designed to feed into the decreasing attention spans of users, making it highly addictive.
TikTok doesn’t filter content very well, leaving it open to the spreading of misinformation.
Similar to algorithms that run other social media platforms, TikTok sorts information that it thinks its users will enjoy seeing based on historical preference. This tailored feed can lead to filter bubbles, isolating a person by limiting the content they see.
TikTok is free to download, so to make money it needs to rely on advertising and e-commerce, making it another minefield for consumerism.

The short video industry is booming, so it’s likely that it will soon have many competitors to contend with. YouTube shorts, Instagram Reels, and are joining TikTok’s niche area.

*Person watching videos, leaning against a tree*

TikTok—A Double-Edged Sword

TikTok is unique in its ability to both isolate you from and bring you out into the real world. Because of the aforementioned filter bubble phenomenon, you may get sucked into what we call doomscrolling, where you obsessively seek out bad news online. Being an active participant in social media (and the world) leads to far more positive outcomes for your mental health.

So, TikTok users and creators, watch out for those ads and that crazy influx of information. Make sure you’re parsing through content carefully so you’re not taking fake information at face value. Other than that, enjoy creating content out in the world!

Study Objective & Methods

Research on the Causes of the “Tik Tok” App Becoming Popular and the Existing Problems.

Li Xu, MS; Xiaohui Yan, GS; Zhengwu Zhang, PGS

Published in the Journal of Advanced Management Science.

The researchers set out to investigate and understand the reasons for TikTok’s huge rise in popularity. They looked into some of the potential problems it could encounter as a platform and some that users could encounter.

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