So whether people are sending you TikToks or you are watching them yourself, TikTok has become a part of a lot of teenagers’ lives. This huge app has become super popular for mostly everyone, and major celebrities are even joining this trend. Before TikTok, Musically was also a popular social media app where people would lip-sync to songs and act to the music. But now, according to TikTok statistics, updated in February 2020, TikTok has become more popular and is now available in over 150 countries, has over 1 billion users, and has been downloaded over 123 million times in the United States alone!

What is this major app and why has it become such a big deal? TikTok says their goal is to become the “leading destination for short-form mobile video” and to “inspire creativity and bring joy.” This app has a variety of videos and users, allowing it to please pretty much anyone’s entertainment needs. Spanning from dancing videos to videos giving advice, everyone can find entertainment on TikTok.

One of the big reasons people watch TikTok is for the variety of videos and the humor people find on the app. Creators can use already made sounds to add their spin and their humor, but creators can also make their own sounds to create their own videos. Creators definitely get creative and there are now tons of videos including both humans and their beloved pets, including dogs, cats, and even a ferret.

Not only does this app contain a variety of videos, but there are also a variety of users to keep you company! Most people recognize the major TikTok users Charli D’Amelio and Addison Rae, but a lot of major celebrities are also hitting this app in order to reach their fans. Some of these celebrities include Reese Witherspoon, Howie Mandel, Ashley Tisdale, and even the Jonas Brothers. From actors to singers, TikTok has become a big social media sites for any type of celebrity.

In addition to hosting tons and tons of videos, TikTok also creates different programs to extend their reach in the world. The “TikTok for good” program encourages and inspires “a new generation to have a positive impact on the planet and those around them.” TikTok wants to use its popularity to help organizations “grow their audience, activate supporters, and raise awareness around specific causes.” They also have a variety of partnerships with different organizations and companies that allow creators and communities to have tools to advertise their products and ideas.

Although TikTok sounds like a lot of fun, it is quite addictive. Not only can users, including myself, get sucked into the vault of TikTok, but there are also concerns with the intentions and privacy of TikTok. Owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, some people have raised their concerns about having a foreign company own this major social media site. There is currently no big negative evidence about this company, but parents have raised their concerns.

So, TikTok, whether you use it or not, is becoming a big social media app in our lives and is influencing a lot of current pop culture. Even if you can’t dance like Charli or Addison, because I sure can’t, you can still watch others bust a move!