Has TikTok's power of escapism embedded into your heart? Polanco et al., (2022) reported that United States has 39.6 million TikTok users. Are you one of them? TikTok was released in China in 2016, then worldwide in 2018, and since then it has blazed into social media like fire. Is it safe and harmless, or are there negative associations with this app?
TikTok has been alleged as Chinese Spyware by (Doffman, n.d.) with data to back this claim. With TikTok a personal and national threat, the senate banned the platform from government devices. TikTok can track users’ location, which becomes a massive problem if they track law enforcement officers or high-security government personnel. (Clark, 2022).
Parents Defending Education (PDE) are working hard to ban TikTok in schools and education, stating they do not know the dangers of the app. TikTok glorifies and normalizes areas of concern in children, such as drug use (Clark, 2022). Parents fear the impact of an unregulated site on their children.
TikTok has changed the face of advertising, evolving as a hub that pushes consumerism and influence-culture. Many advertisers have created methods of illusions and deception about their products on TikTok that most consumers do not recognize as advertisements (Li et al., 2021).
In the United States, the unregulated social media platform is used mostly by adolescents. The influence of such has created social pressure on eating disorders and self-injury (Logrieco, et al., 2021). TikTok has been associated with increased depression, anxiety, addiction, and online gaming. It can also decrease concentration and memory while increasing attention disorders. This is a concern as it is estimated that a billion kids use TikTok monthly. (Joshua 2022)
Polanco et al., (2022) claim TikTok has the highest number of app users worldwide. Users appreciate the diversity and the friendly user platform with its methods to cross cultural divides and communicate with others outside one’s social milieu.
Statistics according to, Polanco et al., 2022, on Tik Tok’s use.
India 119.3 million users
* United States 39.6 million users
* Turkey 28.4 million users
* Russia 24.3 million users
* Mexico 19.7 million users
* Brazil 18.4 million users
* Pakistan 11.8 million users
* Saudi Arabia 9.7 million users
* France 9.1 million users
* Germany 8.8 million users
Samuel (2022) shows how TikTok has disseminated health care information, and united people, as it did with the celiac community.
Wald (2022) showcases the advantages of Tic Tok as entertaining, relaxing, time-killing, and music accessing. The platform offers promotion, education, advertisement, networking, and other benefits.
As you consider TikTok, research the risks and advantages before you allow it into your world. Will TikTok improve your life or bring harm to it?
References:
Clark, J., (2022). Experts warn about the dangers of TikTok being used in schools. Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/media/experts-warn-about-dangers-tik-tok-being-used-schools
Doffman, Z. (n.d.) Is TikTok seriously dangerous—Do you need to delete it?. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2020/07/11/tiktok-seriously-dangerous-warning-delete-app-trump-ban/
Joshua (2022). The negative effects of TicTok. WLFA Play the Moment. https://www.wlfa.org/the-negative-effects-of-tiktok/#:~:text=A%20recent%20study%20found%20that%20TikTok%2C%20a%20popular,effects%20of%20TikTok%20on%20a%20group%20of%20teenagers.
Li, D., Chow, U. T., & Cheong, C. Y. M. (2022). A critical genre analysis of covert advertising through short-videos in douyin: the chinese version of tik-tok. SAGE Open, 12(4), 215824402211346–. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221134608
Logrieco, G,m Marchili, M. R., Roversi, M., & Villani, A. (2021). The paradox of tik tok anti-pro-anorexia videos: how social media can promote non-suicidal self-injury and anorexia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(3), 1041–. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18031041
Polanco, N., Mayorga, B. V. S., Prince, J., & Benel, A. (2022). Tik Tok and the possible perseverance of Cultural Imperialism. Global Media Journal, 20(52), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.36648/1550-7521.20.52.312
Samuel, L., Jaime, C., Fera, J., & Basch, C. (2022). TikTok offers an opportunity for nutrition-professionals to impact celiac patients active on social media. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 122(10), A110–A110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2022.08.070
Wald, J. (2022). 23 ros & cons of TikTok. Janice Wald’s Mostly Blogging. https://www.mostlyblogging.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-tiktok/
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A Love Affair with TikTok
by Stephanie Daich
