Which Side of Tiktok Are You On?
It might be what all the kids are up to, but TikTok is a place for all ages.
Have you been sucked into the TikTok vortex? Most of us have. In less than 18 months, the number of US adult TikTok users grew 5.5 times, with 800 million active users worldwide.
If the COVID-19 virus helped anyone out, it was TikTok. Instead of turning to books, home projects, or — talking to the people you live with (gasp!) — Many turned to the app for entertainment, education, and drama.
So which side are you on? I’m going to share with you a short, far from exhaustive, list of TikTok content you may find on your For You Page (FYP)…
Small Business TikTok
A quick search of the #smallbusiness hashtag boasts 5.9 billion hits. If you’ve posted about your small businesses or showed interest (by commenting, liking, sharing, etc) in small businesses, you may see the millions of videos showing off lettering boards for weddings, stickers (so many stickers), or other creative TikTok users’ businesses.
Quite a few small business owners owe their success to the app, including a huge increase in sales for an already successful business called Zenspire Designs.
This side of TikTok is good for some motivation to finally get started on your passion project or for unique handmade gift ideas for your friends!
Teacher TikTok
Even teachers have taken to TikTok to show the realities of the job, dance, or share tips and tricks for a successful school year (with and without COVID).
I can’t imagine being a teacher anytime, let alone in the middle of a pandemic. Thankfully, there’s a cheerful group of teachers on Tiktok to provide a positive community and give us a glimpse into the day to day life of a teacher.
Teacher TikTok frequents my FYP for some reason… Maybe because I am fascinated by the silly questions Kindergarteners ask and the impressive classroom decor I always see. Either way — Glad to support a teacher any way I can.
Therapist TikTok
There are so many therapists on the app sharing free content and I can’t get over how incredible that is. For FREE, these therapists are sharing insights and challenging our difficult thoughts. In a 60 second video, you can learn and change your perspective for the better.
Find the therapists and videos you didn’t know you needed through hashtags like: #MentalHealthTherapist #MarriageTherapist #AddictionTherapist.
Body Positive
Another incredible side to TikTok I have found myself on is “body positive” TikTok. Unfortunately, one of my least favorite parts of the app is the diet culture and unhealthy body talk… But that’s a topic for another time.
Thankfully, there are some TikTokers using the platform to normalize weight gain and encourage acceptance of all body shapes and sizes. Some of my favorites are Dexrated and Victoriagarrick4.
“Satisfying” Tiktok
I figured there's some science behind this, and I was right — Watching satisfying videos (regardless of how odd or random the content) releases dopamine and serotonin in the brain. That’s probably why the hashtag has an absurd amount of views.
So if you’re a veteran satisfying video-connoisseur (think: slime videos) or you’re new, I promise you’ll love something the app has to offer.
There’s “LawnTok” where you can view beautifully cut grass or the satisfying precision of a hedge trimmer… Or flawlessly applied frosting on a cake, or even — Bricklaying (yeah, I’m serious).
But my personal favorite is the sand cutting and squishing on the Sand.tagous TikTok page. Don’t knock it ’til you try it, k?
Get On TikTok Before it’s Too Late!
Mmm, no, this isn’t sponsored. I’m just a big fan. I try to ignore the news about banning the app, because then what would I do in bed from 11PM-1 AM?
And as I said, this is far from a complete list. The dance challenges, comedy sketches, and trivia TikToks are on the app in abundance as well. Keep scrolling and you might come across True Crime Tiktok, Parenting Tiktok … Just about anything you can dream up.
Are you on TikTok?
