The TikTok Society

What is the TikTok Society? How do we define it?

The TikTok Society is an energetic and constantly open community where young people in particular try out new things. People dance, sing, make funny videos and generally have fun. This is a world full of viral content that can reach a large audience in a short time.

TikTok users use this platform to express themselves, discover new trends and draw attention to themselves on social media, and they like to consume quick, attention-grabbing content. The shorter, funnier and more creative a video is, the more views it gets. Users often make videos with trendy music and effects. This society is constantly trying out new things and is at the center of the culture of fast consumption. Since everyone is a content producer on TikTok, we see an effort to stand out from the crowd in every new video. On the other hand, we see a generation that calls itself original copying the trends at the speed of light.

If you like, let’s rewind a little and take a look at what TikTok is…

The history of TikTok is actually quite interesting. The Chinese technology company ByteDance developed an application called Douyin in 2016. This application quickly became a big hit and was released internationally in 2018 under the name TikTok. TikTok expanded its user base through the acquisition of Musical.ly and grew rapidly. TikTok’s success is due to its user-friendly interface, powerful algorithm and large music library.

TikTok has also made a big impression worldwide. This platform, which is particularly popular with young people, has changed the dynamics of social media. However, the fact that TikTok is managed by a China-based company has raised some concerns. Many countries have banned or restricted its use because they fear that TikTok could share user data with the Chinese government.

For this reason, almost every development related to TikTok has been more talked about and debated…

With increasing popularity, TikTok has also become the focus of various court cases and scandals. For example, there are serious concerns about the privacy of user data. The US government has attempted to impose various restrictions, claiming that TikTok poses a threat to national security. The Chinese government, on the other hand, argued that TikTok is a completely independent company and that user data is secure.

TikTok has also been criticized for its content censorship and negative impact on young users. The negative aspects of the platform include the addictive effect and the spread of harmful content, particularly among young people.

So what does this platform, on which young people in particular share content at will, mean in figures?

I have implicitly talked above about the secret collaboration between TikTok and the Chinese government and the discussion about serious industrial espionage by hacking into the devices of hundreds of millions of users around the world and providing the data flow. Apart from that, however, the company is attracting attention as a major technology company and a profitable business. ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, is estimated to be worth over 300 billion dollars by 2023. This value is of course very high, as ByteDance not only includes TikTok, but also other successful applications and services. TikTok has also become a major player in terms of advertising revenue. In 2023, TikTok’s advertising revenue reached over 10 billion dollars. This figure also shows how attractive the platform is for advertisers and the potential it has to reach a wide audience. Let’s also add that the number of TikTok users reached over 1 billion active users worldwide in 2023.

As a country, we can also get a slice of the global pie with our work in this area. In other words, being the founder of the game, not the player, makes a lot of sense when you look at the chart above.

I can also recommend a few books for those who want to learn more in-depth about TikTok

“TikTok Boom: China, the US and the Superpower Race for Social Media” by Chris Stokel-Walker – This book explains how TikTok grew so fast and became a global phenomenon.

“Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think” by Viktor Mayer-Schönberger and Kenneth Cukier – A great resource for understanding the world of big data, including TikTok.

“LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media” by P.W. Singer and Emerson T. Brooking – This book about how social media has become a tool of war can be read to understand the global impact of TikTok.

So In Conclusion, Is TikTok Helpful or Harmful?

Discussions on the benefits and harms of TikTok can be addressed from various perspectives. One could say, “TikTok has positive contributions in terms of freedom of creative expression, entertainment and building a global community. However, issues such as the platform’s privacy of user data, content addiction and potential negative effects on young users should also be considered. In conclusion, whether TikTok is beneficial or harmful depends on how the platform is used and how individuals manage this use. Of course, as with everything else, the concept of balance comes into play here: TikTok can be useful when used consciously and in moderation, while uncontrolled and excessive use can have harmful consequences.

In my opinion, it is not so important how long the TikTok society will last. What is important is that we accept the fact that in a fast-turning world, generations consume fast, get bored fast, are influenced fast and have easy access. Are we just spectators to the flow of this trend? Are we joining the current and enjoying the moment? Are we trying to direct these trends? Are we doing profitable business with disposable products and strategies? …The position we take according to the answers to all these questions will play a key role in the future of societies… Personally, in the case of Tiktok, I am very impressed with the business idea and the right marketing strategies. Good luck to our local technology companies…