#tiktoksimpactonamericanculture

[mamaswaystoasunsetlifestyle-blog]

TikTok's Impact on American Culture

TikTok, a popular app, has become a significant part of American culture, with its memes and content viewed millions of times.

The House of Representatives passed a bill in March to force Chinese owners of TikTok to sell to a non-Chinese owner or face a ban.

The Chinese government could use the app to obtain sensitive U.S. user data or influence content to serve its interests.

The legislation would require the Senate to pass, survive lawsuits from TikTok and creators, and buyers to clear regulatory approval.

The app has become Hollywood's favorite marketing machine, influencing music, movies, beliefs, product success, and celebrity definitions.

The app's influence extends beyond the app, influencing the music, movies, and the definition of a celebrity.

Hollywood's Response to TikTok's Impact

Hollywood initially dismissed TikTok's arrival in 2018, leading to denial and fear among young adults.

However, Hollywood now sees TikTok as indispensable, with films like "Anyone But You" and "M3gan" gaining significant success due to TikTok users re-enacting credit sequences.

TikTok has also served as a ticket-selling machine for films, like  "Wonka" and "Barbie."

The platform's user-centric approach has led to the creation of videos that provide behind-the-scenes "realness," making it a popular platform for news aggregation and analysis.

TikTok's Influence on News Discourse

V Spehar, a social media influencer, has used TikTok to share videos explaining missed events, making him a regular at White House briefings.

Pew Research Center found that about one-third of 18- to 29-year-olds get news regularly on TikTok, outpacing other age groups.

In 2023, about 14% of American adults regularly got news on TikTok, compared to just 3% in 2020.

The appeal of TikTok has raised concerns about accuracy and context as original reporting is funneled through other accounts.

TikTok's Impact on Conspiracy Theories

TikTok has become a platform for debunking conspiracy theories, with posts illustrating a flimsy patchwork of assumptions and coincidences.

The platform's recommendation algorithms and low barrier to entry have made such posts thrive.

Conspiracy theories, which draw high engagement, are one of the most profitable categories on TikTok.

TikTok's Influence on Music Industry and National Security

TikTok's Controversy

Two young men promoted a toothpaste theory that colored dots on toothpaste tubes correspond to natural, medicinal, or chemical ingredients.

The theory was quickly retweeted, copied, and stitched into reaction videos.

Colgate, a major toothpaste manufacturer, denied the rumor.

Even silly rumors can lead to real-world harm, with recommendations for homemade alternatives.

TikTok's Impact on Music Industry

TikTok has become a potent promotional outlet for the music industry.

The platform has become vital in the race to mint a new hit.

Universal Music Group withdrew the rights to its music on the app, saying TikTok was trying to "bully" the company to accept low terms.

Swift, who releases her music through Universal but has owned the copyrights to her work since 2018, broke ranks and put her songs back on TikTok.

TikTok's Potential as a Propaganda Tool

The algorithm is wrapped in a mystery, provided by engineers working for ByteDance, the Chinese company that controls the platform.

The Chinese government has issued regulations that require Beijing’s regulators to grant permission before any ByteDance algorithms can be licensed to outsiders.

There is always a possibility of ByteDance's algorithm becoming a pipeline for influencing citizens and voters in subtle and not-so-subtle ways.

Senator Mark Warner, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, noted that TikTok has emerged as a news source and, it collects data on users that the Chinese government could find useful, even crucial.

The real question is whether anyone gets to look under the hood of TikTok.

Southern Alamance Middle School's Solution to "Toilet TikToks"

Southern Alamance Middle School in Graham, N.C., implemented a solution to combat student distractions from social media, known as "Toilet TikToks."

The school removed the bathroom mirrors used for filming TikToks and introduced an online system for students to be excused from class.

The system has led to a significant decrease in bathroom visits from students asking to be excused just to make videos.

The school is among dozens of other U.S. districts that have filed lawsuits accusing social media platforms, including TikTok, of unfairly ensnaring young people.

The school's acting superintendent, Kristy Davis, emphasizes the importance of addressing the negative impacts of social media on students' well-being.

TikTok's popularity has disrupted other social media platforms, with rivals attempting to replicate its image but failing to reproduce its hypnotic energy.

TikTok is also trying to compete with YouTube and introduce an e-commerce platform to rival Instagram.

TikTok's Brain Activity and its Impact on the Brain

TikTok's algorithm selects videos based on past use, increasing brain activity related to reward, attention, and social processing.

TikTok users reported experiencing, a "flow state" associated with engaging but not frustrating activities, compared to Instagram users.

The app's immersive quality may induce enjoyment, concentration, and time distortion.

TikTok's Role in Fashion and the Met Gala

TikTok has been invited to be an honorary host of the annual Met Gala, growing influence in the fashion industry.

The company's CEO, Shou Chew, has been named an honorary of the gala, alongside Loewe designer Jonathan Anderson.

Despite the prohibition of all social media inside the party, TikTok's influence has grown significantly, with over 75 billion views associated with the #TikTokfashion hashtag and almost 500 million with #2023Gala alone.

Luxury brands regularly sign up TikTok stars as brand ambassadors, creating a cycle where TikTok feeds the gala machine, which feeds TikTok.

TikTok's Impact on Mental Health and Campaigns

TikTok's algorithm has led to a downward spiral of mental health content, with users often exposed to repetitive content.

The surge in mental health content has increased self-diagnosis among young people, with ADHD and anxiety disorders diagnosed more frequently during the pandemic.

Profit motives may influence these trends, with platforms often featuring advertising from app-based mental health services and influencers having sponsorship deals.

Research warns that TikTok videos can deliver misinformation, with around one-fifth of videos mentioning cognitive behavioral therapy being inaccurate.

Despite these concerns, some users credit TikTok for breaking open the national conversation around mental illness.

President Biden's TikTok campaign, which uses the platform to reach potential voters, has gained significant attention.

The campaign relies on young, digitally fluent aides to host its TikToks, which can sometimes be offensive or dismissive.

The @bidenhq account has around 299,000 followers, but the campaign's success is attributed to its ability to engage with its audience.

Kiara Springs earns significant income from her TikTok posts, earning between $10,000 and $12,000 for getting people to buy what she suggests.

TikTok's Role in Marketing and Product Development

TikTok's Addiction and Advertising

TikTok's addictive, cost-effective content is a part of many brands' marketing strategies.

Brands believe their videos with everyday people can go viral more easily than on platforms like Instagram.

The average user spends nearly an hour on the platform daily.

TikTok's Shopping Feed

Last year, the app launched a shopping feed, allowing direct purchases from various vendors.

Some brands consider creating TikTok content for their products before developing them.

Impact of Viral Products

Viral products on TikTok can lead to increased sales.

Examples include Stanley tumblers, feta cheese, and a drugstore mainstay.

Some products, like Cat Crack Catnip, sold out quickly after being shared on TikTok.

TikTok's Influence on Recipes

The platform has transformed cooking by presenting recipes over time in videos.

The platform favors concepts over recipes, allowing viewers to watch and make them.

TikTok's Data Collection

TikTok, owned by a Chinese company, collects significant information from users.

This includes your IP address, location, contacts, messages, and viewing history.

The company can also look for phone or email addresses in other users' address books unless privacy settings are turned off.

TikTok's Influence on Adult Life and Financial Advice

Shelley Polanco, a senior at Brandeis, seeks guidance on adulthood through TikTok accounts featuring older women of culture.

@itsrealllylola, who shares her life lessons and advice on ignoring judgments.

She also seeks support from Dr. Amanda Hanson, a "midlifemuse," and Shera Seven, a 40-year-old woman offering dating advice.

Shannon, a TikTok transformation coach, helped her visualize her future self and write goals.

Hannah Williams, a content creator, uses the platform to help people understand their potential earnings.

FinTok, the money, and personal finance community app, has changed how we accept advice from strangers and how much ordinary people are willing to share about their financial status.

Vivian Tu, a 30-year-old former Wall Street trader, offers practical advice on high-yield savings accounts and retirement savings.

57% of Gen Z users like or leave a comment after watching a video on the platform.

However, there are concerns about crypto scams and potential gains on TikTok, and commenters often offer corrections when scams or bad advice crop up.

TikTok has been influential in getting people to watch their screens upright instead of sideways; a phenomenon spreading to other platforms like Apple, a professional Spanish soccer league, and major news publishers.