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by Patrycja Harnaszkiewicz
The revolutionary conversion from the renowned Musical.ly app (a platform on which users were able to share and create short lip-sync videos) merging into the modernised and improved TikTok app sparked dramatic change in social media consumption and the content we view and engage with. Summer of 2018 introduced the rebranded app produced by the Chinese social media service headquartered in Shanghai, announcing the end of a childhood era of off-beat lip-syncing and cheesy body gestures to compliment the art and craft of creating a perfect musically video to our favourite hits. Its predominantly younger user base had grown up suggesting a time of change and progress in order to appeal to maturing audiences, and expanding their platform into many different sectors and niche topics specialised to find its way to everyone’s for you pages.
Personally as everyone else I was obviously aware of the existence and rise of this new social media platform but restricted myself from viewing its content as an act of rebellion and my imaginary ‘maturity’ which prevented me from downloading the app which I assumed was a knock-off or even more ludicrous version of the musically app. However my life turned 180 degrees as the Covid-19 pandemic hit and I was forced to stay secluded in my home with my phone being my only companion, which was the only source to the outside world and wider society had left. Eventually I succumbed to the traps of TikTok advertisements and viral videos I've seen scattered around social media which somehow seemed appealing due to my dramatic boredom and isolation which distorted my sense of pride and maturity, consequently causing me to grow my own TikTok obsession. Endless hours of worthless scrolling and intermittent 5-15 (now 60) seconds of mental stimulation grew and grew on me as I succumbed to the depths of some of the content produced which reminded me why I was so hesitant to have the app in the first place.
Coincidently with the rise of respiratory diseases lingering in the air, this significantly influenced cases of mental illness and distress, especially in younger generations experiencing seclusion and loneliness which we could have never anticipated. This sudden plot twist put us all in trepidation with our phones being our dominant form of communication, social interaction and any sense of normality we had left. As a result of the global pandemic and numerous national lockdowns, TikTok exploited our vulnerability and therefore identified several success factors allowing a diversification of possibilities for the post-pandemic evolution of TikTok. This digital transformation opened up doors for creativity and imagination, masking itself as an outlet of opportunity and virtual interaction, despite its true and dark nature revealing itself the deeper you delve.
Just like the dark web, there’s always more than what appears at the surface, joyful videos of art, cooking, family and friends, and those of educational purpose which appear on your for you page as you first sign-up are just the overlay of the gradual development into gaining access to the dangers invisible to the mainstream audience. With the increase of alternative culture, filled with self-expression and experimentation of style and character, this niche more specialised segment of TikTok, despite the supposed positivity due to their being a lack of judgement and minimised discrimination which would otherwise be experienced in the real world. Has twisted the view on mental illness by romanticising and glamorizing depression, eating disorders and drug abuse among adolescents, by displaying triggering and harmful content without viewer discretion or warning.
Video edits of popular shows such as Skins made their way onto a pedestal as teens began to admire such characters and attempt to embody their reckless behaviour and viewed these virtual figures as role models and inspiration especially in British youth. Compilations of clips from a series of a popular show at first glance doesn’t appear to be an issue but the more you investigate the intentions behind it, videos of girls overdosing and participating in dangerous activity doesn’t produce any positive effects or reactions in its viewers other than subliminally normalising this sort of content, effectively numbing our generation into thinking such lifestyles are healthy and exhilarating rather than something we should avoid as a generation.
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