By Genelle Gogue
TikTok recently became a top-charting app due to the newfound popularity it has received in the last few months. Back in August of 2018, TikTok merged with the app “musical.ly” and created a larger video sharing platform. Users are able to create their own original videos, recreate previously made videos, and showcase all types of content.
The app is set up so that when users first open the app on their phones, they are taken to their “For you page,” which is also known as the “fyp.” Here they see an array of videos selected based on videos they had previous liked, which causes the algorithm to believe similar videos would entertain them. The other pages on the app consist of a search tool to look for other users, as well as an option to make your own videos. Students of MHS have been spotted on other students’ “For you pages” and are now being recognized on campus because of their TikTok presence.
Tiktok is filled with a variety of videos. These videos range from people dancing and singing, creating skits, or reenacting famous lines from shows and movies. A lot of “tiktokers” start dance trends and from there, the dances get recreated and gain more popularity. Another category of videos that are posted is tutorials. Users enjoy making and watching clothes making and food tutorials as well.
Originally, Tiktoks were just made for fun during the summer, Senior Vanessa Campaña said. Campaña has landed on many students’ “For you pages” after a few videos of her had gone viral and has accumulated more than 30 thousand followers and one million hearts. Campaña makesTiktoks when she has free time, she said. Her most popular Tiktok has surpassed over 600thousand hearts and 20 thousand shares. She goes by the username “@wanekaaa” and has been recognized by her fellow MHS students.
“It’s pretty cool! I didn’t expect it to blow up, I would just make videos for fun,” Campaña said. “Sometimes people do [recognize me], and I honestly find it pretty funny and cool.”
Junior Jared Cabanilla has the same reasons for starting to make Tiktoks, he said. He just made one to see what everyone was talking about and because he wanted to recreate a dance he saw, Cabanilla said. One of his Tiktoks happened to blow up and from there, he kept creating content, he added. Cabanilla goes by the username “@safetyj22”.
“I just wanted to see what everyone was talking about, and I wanted to do the ‘Why you so obsessed with me’ dance,” Cabanilla said, referencing a viral trend on the app. “Then one of my Tiktoks blew up, and I just kept making them.”
Cabanilla has also been recognized by students on campus, he said. At first, he thought it was a weird feeling, he added. He tries to keep up with his audience by making at least one Tiktok every two to three days, Cabanilla said.