This is TikTok on Quarantine

If any of you have downloaded the app TikTok you understand how you can start watching a video and end up in the same spot on the couch two hours later, struggling to find a reason to not sit there for another two. As a 22-year-old going on 30 I only downloaded it to stay up to date on social trends. In turn, I have recently self-diagnosed myself as addicted, so I thought, why not use it to my advantage and write a blog about TikTok for work?  

Since its birth in September 2016, I think it’s safe to say that TikTok has exploded in popularity. In just the last five months the app went from having about 680 million monthly users to 800 million worldwide. As the stay at home order has continued, the number of downloads has only increased. Before hopping on the TikTok train, I too joined in the assumption that TikTok was saturated with teens. Although that assumption holds some truth, the demographics of the app were surprising. From what I could tell, while on the app and through research, is that the COVID-19 quarantine has helped to break down some of the age barriers. Around 50% of TikTok users are between the ages of 18 and 34 with an even split between 18-24 and 25-34-year-olds. The most surprising fact was nearly a quarter of TikTok users are between 45- and 64-years-old. But keep in mind that these stats don’t include users under the age of 18, who represent a big chunk of overall TikTok accounts. 

The constant creation on TikTok has driven many trends that we have been seeing throughout quarantine. Hashtag challenges have changed to support social distancing and quarantine like #distancedance #stayhomestaystrong and the #lifeathomequiz. On top of that there are fathers calculating the amount of toilet paper sheets per sh*t, a young man takes us through his quarantine journey to find love, users are getting to experience concerts and raves from the comfort of their couch ALL while perfecting their makeup routine and experimenting with whipped coffee. Although quarantine and social distancing means staying away from others, TikTok has allowed millions to feel more connected to other humans and distracted from the feelings of isolation. 

Due to the overwhelming popularity of TikTok we have also seen an increase in advertising and brands making an entrance to the platform. When the average user spends 52 minutes a day on TikTok and opens the app around 8 times per day, brands who utilize this platform will see results. Just look at Chipotle; their TikTok bio, “Less Tok, More Guac” is hard to argue with. TikTok also has the resources to help brands “launch campaigns, manage ad resources, monitor data and optimize advertising.” Plus, who wouldn’t love to see employees of a brand attempt to do a TikTok dance. 

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