Originally launched in April 2014 as Musical.ly, TikTok is a lip-syncing app that boasts over 500 million users worldwide. Musical.ly was purchased by Chinese company ByteDance in November 2017 and officially absorbed into their already existing app called TikTok in August 2018. The app is known for short lip-syncing videos, endless challenges, and making Millie Bobbie Brown’s friend, Jacob Sartorius, break the iTunes charts. A social media platform teeming with Gen Z users, TikTok is basically the new Vine, with a music twist.
What Does TikTok Do?
Originally made for lip-syncing to your favorite songs, TikTok has exploded in all different directions. The feed is filled with fifteen-second vertical videos across genres — from dancing to gymnastics to short-form comedy— their one uniting factor is some kind of audio (either a song or voice over). It has its own audio library, with a diverse catalog including popular songs and silly voiceovers, as well as Snap chat-esque filters. Users can garner likes and comments similar to Instagram, and, of course, like any other social media platform, TikTok has its very own influencers, some of whom recently bought a house together.What Is A TikTok Challenge?
TikTok is quickly becoming the social media platform of the moment, with recent statistics showing the app has now been downloaded over 1.5 billion times globally. And while TikTok advertising is still gaining traction, there’s plenty of opportunity for brands of all sizes to run a new form of campaign centered around what’s known as a TikTok challenge. TikTok challenges are as ephemeral as trending news, but right now you'll see popular challenges/dances to songs
TikTok challenges, both organic and sponsored, are often a combination of three elements: text, sound, and movement (usually a choreographed dance). They can be started by individuals, usually TikTokers or influencers with many followers, or by brands that have invested in TikTok advertising.
Are kids allowed to use TikTok?
Officially, the TikTok app requires that users be at least 13 years old to access it.The age limit brings the app inline with other social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat - all with a minimum age limit of 13.
Rules state that anyone under the age of 18 must have approval of a parent or guardian
How can you make your TikTok account private?
To make your TikTok account private, go to your profile page and select the three-dot icon in the top-right corner. Select Privacy and Safety. There, toggle the switch for "Private Account." You can also select who can send you comments and direct messages, and who can do a duet with you. Using the "Friends" setting or turning those features off completely limits contact with strangers.How do I delete a TikTok video?
To delete a TikTok video that you have posted to your account, select the video you want to delete from your profile. From there, tap the "..." icon in the bottom-right corner and select Delete or the trash can icon. You will be asked if you are sure you want to delete the video. Then it will be removed from your profile.How can I delete a TikTok account?
To delete a TikTok account, go to your profile, then select the "..." icon in the top-right corner. Select Manage My Account. From there, you must add a phone number if you haven't already. This must be a working number, as they will text you a code to verify the number and later to verify deleting the account. Once you've added a phone number, an option at the bottom of the Manage My Account menu will appear, asking, "Thinking about removing your account?" Tap the phrase, which will lead you to a new page prompting you to enter a verification code. Choose "Send Code" to receive a text message with the verification code. Enter the number, then select Continue. You will be given information on what is entailed in deleting the account. Choose Continue once again for a final confirmation that you want to delete your account, then tap Delete Account.How can I use TikTok with my kids?
You can provide a buffer between kids and iffy content by watching with your kids and making videos together. Offer to hold the camera or turn it around to do a selfie duet. You can post it or save it as "private" so only you can see. The app also lets you share videos by email, text, or other social media where you can better control who sees it, so kids can perform for friends and relatives instead of a wider network of people.How do you do a duet on TikTok?
TikTok has a feature that allows two users who aren't in the same place to perform a duet. Both users must follow each other to make it work. One user creates and posts a video, and then a mutual follower can tap the "..." icon at the bottom right of the video and select "start duet now!" The second user can then lip-synch along with the first person, either swapping back and forth or in a split screen.What should parents know about the app?
When signing up on TikTok, user profiles are made “public” by default - meaning anyone can view videos that your children upload.TikTok is mostly based on music and video - so profanity and suggestive clothing/dancing are the most obvious sources of adult content.
But the app also encourages some themes that are much more mature than their 16+ rating would suggest.
Strangers can send private messages - so if your child's account remains public, they may be receiving messages from complete strangers.
People who send direct messages can access data, such as where the recipient lives.
But one of the app's positives is the ability to turn on the ‘digital wellbeing’ setting.
Why Is TikTok In The News?
Despite TikTok being one of the world's most downloaded phone app, many have branded it a "magnet for paedophiles", prompting a new investigation into the software and its uses.
In July 2018, TikTok was banned in Indonesia, after the Indonesian government accused it of promoting "pornography, inappropriate content and blasphemy."
The app was also banned in India after a string of high profile cases in which videos went wrong, including footage of a man accidentally slitting his throat in Chennai.
Meanwhile, a teenager, 19, was allegedly shot dead by his friend in Delhi as they posed with a pistol to make a video for upload.
Yet, the ban was later lifted.
In January 2019, TikTok was banned by the US army as scrutiny over the platform’s relationship with China, where the app was made, began to grow.
Is TikTok Safe?
Like any other social media platform, there is always the possibility for inappropriate behavior, especially when minors are involved. TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, does work to remove videos in violation of the Terms of Use, but that can only go so far. In recent months, many social media sites have taken action to protect young people on their platforms — for example, YouTube has disabled comments on videos made by minors to protect them from predators. Only time will tell how TikTok continues to fend off potential threats, but for now TikTok and its community of booty-shaking, challenge-accepting tweens is mostly harmless.Reddit CEO Steve Huffman took a shot at TikTok during a conference earlier this year, calling it “fundamentally parasitic” and comparing it to spyware. His specific concerns appear to be based on the fact that the platform uses a form of “device fingerprinting” to track user behavior.
Huffman was responding to a question about what startups could learn from TikTok‘s success, saying, “I can’t even get to that level of thinking with them.” He also said, “I actively tell people, ‘Don’t install that spyware on your phone.'”
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