TikTok Society
What is TikTok Society? How Do We Define It?
TikTok society is an energetic audience, composed primarily of young people, that is continuously open to trying new things. Here, people dance, sing, record funny videos, and generally have fun. It is a world filled with viral content capable of reaching broad audiences in a short time, along with its inhabitants.
TikTok users utilize this TikTok platform to express themselves, discover new trends, and attract attention on social media, while preferring to consume fast, eye-catching content. The shorter, more entertaining, and creative a video is, the more views it receives. Users generally prepare videos with trending music and effects. This society is constantly trying new things and stands right at the center of the fast consumption culture. Since everyone is a content creator on TikTok, we see efforts to differentiate in every new video. On the other hand, however, we witness a generation that promotes itself as authentic copying trends at the speed of light.
If you like, let's rewind a bit and briefly look at what TikTok actually is...
The story of TikTok is actually quite interesting. The Chinese technology company named ByteDance developed an application called Douyin in 2016. This application became a massive hit in a short time and was launched into the international market under the name TikTok in 2018. TikTok expanded its user base and grew rapidly by acquiring Musical.ly. Behind TikTok's success lie its user-friendly interface, powerful algorithm, and extensive music library.
TikTok has also created a major global impact. Popular especially among young people, this platform changed social media dynamics. However, the fact that TikTok is managed by a China-based company brought along several concerns. Many countries chose to ban or restrict the application over fears that TikTok could share user data with the Chinese government.
As a result, almost every development regarding TikTok has become more widely discussed and debated...
As TikTok's popularity increased, it also came to the agenda with various lawsuits and scandals. For instance, there are serious concerns regarding user data privacy. The US government attempted to impose various restrictions, claiming that TikTok posed 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 safe.
TikTok was also criticized for content censorship and its negative effects on young users. In particular, its addictive nature among youth and the spread of harmful content stand out as negative aspects of the platform.
So, what does this platform, where teenagers in particular share content at will, represent numerically?
I previously touched upon the debate regarding serious industrial espionage conducted through covert cooperation between TikTok and the Chinese government, leaking data by infiltrating the devices of hundreds of millions of users worldwide. Apart from this, however, the company also draws attention as a massive technology firm and a profitable enterprise.
The value of ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, exceeded 300 billion dollars as of 2023. This valuation is naturally quite high because ByteDance encompasses not only TikTok, but also other successful applications and services. TikTok has also become a major player in terms of ad revenue. In 2023, TikTok's ad revenue exceeded 10 billion dollars. This figure demonstrates how attractive the platform is for advertisers and its potential to reach a vast audience. Let us complete the picture by adding that TikTok's user count reached over 1 billion active users worldwide as of 2023.
As a country, we can also take a piece of the global pie through our initiatives in this field. Looking at the table above, being the one who sets up the game rather than just playing it makes total sense.
For those who wish to gain a deeper insight into TikTok, I can suggest a few books:
"TikTok Boom: China, the US and the Superpower Race for Social Media" by Chris Stokel-Walker – This book tells how TikTok grew so rapidly 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 to understand the world of big data in which TikTok also operates.
"LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media" by P.W. Singer and Emerson T. Brooking – Explaining how social media has turned into a weapon of war, this book can be read to understand the global impacts of TikTok.
So, is TikTok Beneficial or Harmful?
Debates on the benefits and harms of TikTok can be handled from various perspectives. One could say, "TikTok makes positive contributions to creative freedom of expression, entertainment, and building a global community." However, issues such as user data privacy, content addiction, and potential negative impacts on young users must also be taken into consideration. Ultimately, whether TikTok is beneficial or harmful depends on how the platform is used and how individuals manage that usage. Naturally, as in everything, the concept of balance comes into play here: while TikTok can be useful when used consciously and in moderation, uncontrolled and excessive use can yield harmful consequences.
In my opinion, how much longer the TikTok society will survive is not what matters most. The essential point is for us to accept the reality that generations in this fast-spinning world now consume quickly, get bored quickly, get influenced quickly, and demand easy access. Are we remaining mere spectators to the flow of this trend? Are we joining the current and enjoying the moment? Are we trying to shape these trends? Are we running profitable businesses with disposable products and strategies? The position we assume based on the answers to all these questions will play a key role in the future of societies... Personally, regarding TikTok in particular, I was highly impressed by the business idea and the right marketing strategies. May the same success befall our domestic technology companies...
