Through all the choices of media platforms, people’s interest in TikTok continues to rise. TikTok is an app where you can post a variety of short-form videos from millions of different genres, such as dance, comedy, education and many more. After someone uploads a video, it allows people worldwide to follow, view, like, comment and share. Several people will admit they get intrigued and end up spending one to three hours on TikTok without even realizing it.
As all social medias do, TikTok use comes with positives and negatives. One problem TikTok has is called the “cancel culture trend”. People will go to great extents to dig up things from people’s past or twist their words to “cancel” them, so they receive hate or lose followers, and the fame is shifted to someone else.
“I think TikTok is one of the most toxic apps because there are trends where people cancel people for the sake of entertainment and it’s like the whole world is against you. Feeling like the whole world is against you would be extremely draining for anyone and could put someone in a horrible mental state,” seventh grader Sydney Scott said.
With this being said, does Tiktok make people feel as if they don’t fit into society’s standards?
“No, not me personally, but I can see how it could affect other people’s confidence or make them want to change their look with all the different types of people on TikTok. But I feel only the same type of people blow up,” senior Camdyn Hanks said.
In today’s society, fitting in or trying to meet everyone’s expectations is already hard enough. Apps such as TikTok continue to add pressure to certain people, which can cause them to feel worse about themselves and make them feel as if they aren’t enough.
If you don’t fit into a category that people enjoy watching or that is trending, it could either have a great effect on you or not at all.
“Sometimes people like to describe their “type” on there, and when everyone agrees one kind of person is attractive, and I don’t fit that category, I feel a little left out. Not enough to make me feel super bad though,” junior Jackson Balmer said.
Considering that your viewing is tailored to what your interests are, you are more than likely going to be comforted by others who are feeling the same.
TikTok appears as an app that you will either let control you or take control of. There is no right or wrong. It could have a great effect on your mental health or have no effect whatsoever. Everyone’s feelings matter, especially in today’s society.