Despite its meteoric rise, many people still don’t understand or know TikTok well. But to the majority who are already using the App, this is not only a center of standard lip-synching but an ideal platform to dig into their creative abilities.
Users and especially the young, enjoy creating videos backed by TikTok memes, TikTok flowers music, and related sound clips. The parental insecurities and government concerns notwithstanding, TikTok’s popularity seems to be growing even faster than some of the most established social media Apps.
Read on to find answers to some of the questions you must be having regarding this service as well.
Table of Contents
What is TikTok?
This is a video sharing social networking service on which a user can create short, exciting videos. It may be comedies, lip-sync talent videos, or anything in this category.
ByteDance, a company in Beijing that was founded in 2012 by Zhang Yiming, owns the service. In 2017, TikTok launched its mobile App for Android and iOS for markets that are outside of China, but earlier on, it already had a similar App called Douyin for the Chinese market.
Although the two Apps are copycats, they run on different servers to meet the Chinese censorship rules.
Social media users in China don’t have access to TikTok because its servers are only in regions where the App is available. It is popular, first in Asia, the US and several other countries.
As of the year 2018, TikTok was active in over 150 countries and 75 languages. In October of the same year, it was rated as the most downloaded App in the United States.
According to statistics from Sensor Tower, the App has been downloaded close to 80 million times in the US and roughly 800 million times globally.
Come February 2019, TikTok and Douyin had jointly hit over one billion downloads globally (exclusive of Android installs in China), and from 2010 to 2019, it was featured as the 7th most downloaded App through that decade. Today several celebrities, including Tony Hawk and Jimmy Fallon, are using the App.
During the entire first half of 2018, research firm Sensor Tower released data showing that TikTok was downloaded more than 105 million times on the Apple App Store. It overtook Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to become the world’s favorite iOS app
When did TikTok hit the market?
In 2017, TikTok launched its mobile App for Android and iOS for markets that are outside of China. The App did not take long to become a hit; by the end of January 2018, it was already the number one free App in Thailand and several other markets.
How does TikTok work and the additional features it comes with.
The App allows you to make short music and lip-sync videos of three to fifteen seconds (3 seconds – 15seconds) and short looping clips of three to sixty seconds (3 seconds to 60 seconds) It is quite easy to use. Once your content is in place, viewers can appreciate you with heart likes, and they can post comments, and follow you.
To enhance the quality of the video, you can select your favorite song and fix it as your background music. More interesting is the fact that you can use a filter to edit and make the necessary speed adjustments before uploading it.
It also has a react feature that allows you to film your reaction to a video. What’s more, you can use the deut feature to shoot a video beside another video.
You can sign up with Instagram, Facebook, email address, or using a phone number. Once logged in, simply search categories (like sports, animals, or comedy), TikTok hashtags, and popular creators to find videos.
You can use your social media followers or phone contacts to see friends who are already using the App. The following are features TikTok comes with.
Add Music: TikTok’s extensive music library and incorporation with Apple Music is where the app edges out all other social platforms. Creators can add, remix, save, and discover songs and sounds via playlists, videos, and more.
Discover: The Discover feed is all about hashtags, but users can also search for keywords, users, videos, and sound effects. People can add friends by searching their username, or scanning their unique TikCode.
Explore profiles: TikTok profiles show a number of follows and followers, as well as an overall total of the number of hearts a user has got or received. As on Twitter and Instagram, official accounts are given blue checkmarks.
Interact: TikTok users can follow accounts they may like, and give hearts, gifts, comments or shares on videos they enjoy. Videos, hashtags, sounds, and effects can be added to a user’s Favorites section.
How is TikTok and Kids Safe?
Generally, all social networks are risky, and it all depends on how you set or customize your account for secure usage. TikTok has numerous kids’ favorite features, and it would be unfair to deny them access on security grounds.
The fact is, Kids can use the App safely with adult supervision. When you join TikTok, your account is public by default, which means that anyone can send you private messages, see your videos, and glean your location information.
As a parent, you need to ensure that all your kid’s account’s privacy settings are on so that only people you know can send messages or interact with his or her videos. Once you set your account as “private,” your videos and other content will be visible to TikTok, but account holders who are not authorized will not see it.
That means that you either sign up for a private account or personalize the settings for reactions, comments, messages, and duets. For example, in the case of messages, you can ignore “Everyone” and set as “Friends.”
Alternatively, you can turn off those features if you feel insecure. With the rising cases of online predators targeting the youth, you cannot afford to take chances. And the danger is real because, in 2019, TikTok paid millions of dollars to settle with US federal authorities who charged it for violating children’s privacy law.
Same year 2019 India government temporally banned TikTok with a slew of security, privacy, and data concerns making headlines for the app. On April 3, 2019 an Indian court ruled that the app could expose children to sexual predators, pornographic content and cyber-bullying, and on April 17th downloads of the app were blocked by the Indian government (existing users were not affected).
Also in Indonesia TikTok was temporally blocked on 3 July 2018 amid public concern about illegal content such as pornography and blasphemy. The App was later unblocked one week later after making various changes.
Is TikTok appropriate for kids?
Well, TikTok may not entirely be appropriate for kids to use on their own because the App leans more towards popular TikTok songs whose videos feature swearing and sexual lyrics.
No doubt, such videos present nude actors dancing suggestively, and this is not the type of content you would want your kid to stumble on. While TikTok doesn’t allow a kid to search ” Porn” or “Sex,” utmost supervision is critical to ensure that they are listening to good songs and watching the right content.
After settling the child privacy violation case in 2019, the App developers provided a separate kids section that only allows them to view clean and appropriate videos.
In this new section, they cannot search, comment, or upload their videos. That isn’t foolproof, though, because to bypass that section, a user only needs to fill in the wrong birthday details.
What is the average users of TikTok?
A large portion of those that uses TikTok are teenagers or young adults. Data from Oberlo shows 41% of TikTok users are 16-24 years old. The app was designed to target those under the age of 18 and the was a success from the data available.
This age group accounts for 60% of all monthly users. And about 80% of TikTok sessions are by Android users. With 88% of all smartphones sold to consumers running Android OS it’s no shock that it wins out in terms of overall use.
How do I delete a TikTok video?
Therefore, you have uploaded a video, and on second thought, you feel it isn’t right. Here is what you need to do to delete it.
1. Select the video in question from your profile
2. In the bottom right corner, Tap the “…” feature and select Delete (the trash can icon represents it)
3. After prompting the delete icon, you will be asked to confirm if you are sure that you intended to delete the video.
4. It will then be removed from your account
How can I delete a TikTok account?
Deleting a TikTok account is also possible, and this is how you do it;
1. Go to your profile in the top right corner and select the icon “…”
2. Select my account
3. Add a phone number if you hadn’t. The number must be working because you will be texted a verification code
4. After adding the phone number, the Manage My Account menu will give you an option asking, “Thinking about removing your account?”
5. Tap on the phrase to go to a new page where you will be prompted to enter a verification code
6. Select “Send Code” so you can receive a text message with the code.
7. Enter the number and then click on continue
8. You will receive more information on what is required to delete the account
9. Move on for the last confirmation that you want to delete your account then click on Delete Account
How can I use TikTok with my kids?
As earlier said, no social media platform is safe despite the safeguards in place. You just have to be a little more vigilant and offer the necessary supervision.
Create a buffer zone between your kids and risky content by watching and making videos together. Once you have shot a video or selfie duet, post it private so that only you can see.
You are not restricted to the private feature, though, as there are other personalized settings you can use to determine who sees it. Thankfully the App allows you to share videos by text email or social media along controlled channels. This means that kids can only interact with friend and relatives instead of the public
How do you do a duet on TikTok?
Two users who are far apart can perform a duet on TikTok, and this is how it works;
1. Both users must be following each other
2. To begin, one user will create and post a video
3. The mutual follower should then tap the “…” icon which lies at the bottom right and then choose ” Start the duet now “
4. You can then start lip-synching in a split-screen or by swapping back and forth.
Is there any way to limit or restrict my kid’s activity on TikTok?
One direction you can take to limit or restrict your child’s activity on TikTok is to block all dirty search terms i.e., Sex and porn. In addition to this, the App provides you with Digital Wellbeing features to regulate the appearance of dirty videos and the time your child spends on the App.
To use these features, move the mouse to the three dots at the top on the right side of your account profile. You should then select “Digital Wellbeing” that lies next to the umbrella icon.
Your kids cannot turn off these features at will, thanks to the four-digit passcode protection. Alternatively, you have the option to turn on Screen Time Management, which will limit your child to a usage of 2 hours per day.
What’s more, the App can also be switched to a Restricted Mode to block inappropriate content. Keep in mind, though, that the restricted mode is not a watertight measure because cases have been where kids still bumped into dirty videos while the filter was on.
TikTok, in 2020, introduced a Family Safety Mode Feature. This one allows parents to link their accounts to their kids’ accounts to know the time spent and help enforce the restricted mode. For now, though, it is not available in the United States.
How can I monitor my kid’s activity on TikTok?
So far, there are no other means of filtering content apart from the Restricted Mode. Therefore, you are encouraged to share an account with your kid, especially those who are under 13 years of age.
This will allow you to follow and know your kid’s activities on the App. Some kids are much older and resistant to monitoring. In such a case, you can request to know more about their preferred video creators and their videos.
It would also help to regularly get an update on which songs they are leaning towards, the videos they are watching, and the memes.
What if my kid wants to get famous on TikTok?
Well, this is a challenge and headache that most parents face because the rapid manner in which some kids rise to fame can quickly put pressure on your child to agitate for a public account.
They may look at the number of likes and approvals that others are getting and get obsessed with fame. Just reign in on them to inspire and model safe behavior. Set strict limits to regulate the type of content that your child shares.
Remember, the desire to become famous can drive your kid to do crazy things to get competing attention. As at 4 March 2020 according to TikTok Death tracker website there have been at least 41 documented deaths of TikTok users, including 35 in India alone while making TikTok videos.
From the report, one man was charred to death after he came in contact with a live electricity wire while posing for a TikTok video near a railway station hopefully to make a stunt so that his video can be viral.
How can you make your TikTok account private?
It is easy, follow these steps;
1. Go to your account’s profile page and hit the three-dot icon at the top right corner.
2. Choose “ Select Privacy and Safety”
3. Then hit on the switch for “Private Account.”
There is also a provision to allow or disallow direct messages and comments from certain users, and you can also determine who to duet you. Furthermore, you could also use the Friends setting to minimize contact with strangers.
What age is TikTok recommended for?
Legally, a TikTok account holder must be 13 years old and above, although the site allegedly has many tween-agers having fun too. Any user under 18 years of age must be approved by a parent or guardian to use the App.
Is TikTok listen in the share market?
TikTok net worth currently stands at approximately 75 billion dollars, making it the world’s most significant startup. According to CrunchBase, the company which has several successful Apps raised over three billion dollars from investors like General Atlantic, the Softbank Group, TCV, K3 Ventures, and KKR. Without a doubt, TikTok stock on the share market shall continue growing as more investors come on board.
TikTok App Facts by Percentages.
375% year on year time spent on TikTok in the US grew by.
275% TikTok enjoyed a massive increase in App spending between October 2017 and October 2018.
80% of TikTok downloads have been made to Android devices.
68% of TikTok users watched someone else’s video.
63% a TikTok user liked someone else’s video.
63% TikTok user started following someone.
60% (Approximate) of users in the U.S. are female, versus 40% male
59% TikTok user logged in without doing anything.
55% TikTok user uploaded a video.
54% TikTok user commented on someone’s video.
52% of TikTok users are on iOS in the US though this chimes with the markets preference for Apple phones.
50% TikTok user shared someone’s video on a different social network.
42% of all TikTok revenue now comes from the USA.
41% Most of the TikTok users are young aged between 16 and 24 years.
34% of daily active users in the U.S. record videos on a daily basis
29% engagement of TikTok is low for social media its behind Facebook 96% Instagram 95% Snapchat 95% and Youtube 95% this data is measured as being the portion of monthly users who opened an App every day.
28.56% of the people who have downloaded the TikTok App use the App daily.
4% of marketers were using TikTok as of 2019, making it the least popular platform in this regard.
TikTok App facts based on the demographics
India Despite its brief ban last year, India led markets with 323 million app installs in 2019, representing 44% of global installs, Sensor Tower reports. There are upward of 120 million monthly active users in India as of June 2019
China According to the leaked deck from TikTok, 500 million of TikTok’s global monthly active users are in China. Chinese users spent more than triple the amount U.S. users spent in 2019, dropping upward of $122.9 million.
TikTok is more popular with older generations in China when compared with other places. According to a survey by Global Web Index, 60% of TikTok users are in the 25-44 age bracket
United States According to TikTok report, there are 30 million monthly active users in the U.S. With 46 million app installs last year, the United States accounted for six percent of global downloads. From google 2019 year in search tiktok was also significant.
American users spend an average of 46 minutes a day on the app, totalling 37 billion video views a month. TikTok’s biggest age group in the US is 18-24 year olds, which account for 42%. That’s followed by 13-17 year olds at 27%.In the U.S. 13-26 year olds are as likely to use TikTok as Facebook and Twitter
Britain follows China and the United States for spending on the TikTok app, accounting for 2% with $4.2 million.
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