You have probably already noticed that the teenagers in your life are missing from Instagram. That’s because they are all on TikTok, the Vine-esque Gen Z app which allows users to upload 15-second videos for the world’s one billion users to see.
Social distancing is TikTok's gain, and more and more people are now signing up to pass the time, and try and take their minds off the coronavirus crisis. Celebs including Jessica Alba, Courteney Cox, Ashley Tisdale and Perrie Edwards have all been posting on TikTok while they've been stuck at home. Victoria Beckham, Reese Witherspoon and Mariah Carey have already made the jump.
Last week, after Senator Elizabeth Warren dropped out of the race to be Democratic candidate on 5th March, she quickly became a viral TikTok star, appearing with comedian Kate McKinnon in a Flip the Switch challenge video (where two people dance to Drake’s ‘Non-Stop’ and swap clothes at the ‘flip of a switch’) for Saturday Night Live. JLoand ARod one-upped them when they uploaded their own Flip the Switch the next day. Winter Love Island runners up Siannise Fudge and Luke T are also going viral with their own couple’s dance challenges.JLo
Don't panic, it’s not all about dance challenges, TikTok definitely feels like a breath of fresh air compared to 'everything's PERFECT' Instagram posts. You get less of the inferiority complex, more of the fun scroll through the send ups of school, uni, boring jobs, being a parent, love and break ups, there are also cleaning hacks, beauty tips, cute animals, and ingenious lip syncs to every Gemma Collins meme you can think of.
Embarrassment is pointless on Tik Tok. People like to see the side that’s more real.
Holly H, 23, is one of the UK’s most popular TikTok stars with 16.4 million followers, and while you might not have heard of her has been described as one of the most influential twenty-somethings in the country. She tells Grazia that for her it’s the most positive platform to be on. ‘On Instagram people take stuff so seriously, I feel like TikTok is the place where people can be themselves. Obviously there are negative comments, that’s just social media, but I feel like people are lifting each other up instead of tearing each other down. It even tells you to ‘say something nice’ in the comments.’
For those of us who are very much in the Instagram-centric age bracket, can we join up without embarrassing ourselves? Holly, says she's 'made a career' out embarrassing herself, and says the more embarrassing the better, as those are the videos which get the best reaction.
She adds that while Gen Z might have been cynical about mums joining before, now they're up for everyone joining their app. If you feel lost, start with a dance challenge like Renegade or Blueberry Faygo, Holly advises. ‘You don’t have to be a professional dancer to do the challenges. It looks harder than it is, slow it down and try it. Embarrassment is pointless on Tik Tok. People like to see the side that’s more real, we’re sick of perfection that isn’t even real.’
Who to follow:
Fenty Beauty - @fentybeauty - equal parts funny with genuinely useful tips
Lizzo - @lizzo a Tik Tok natural
Brittany Broski - @brittany_broski - kombucha girl has so much more to offer the world
Allison Hammond - @alisonhammond - no explanation needed
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