Why teens love TikTok – but others are more wary
- Chinese-owned social media app TikTok is a smash hit thanks to its funny and quirky short videos, but some parents say it promotes inappropriate content
- Censorship and espionage also remain ongoing concerns, with the app currently the subject of a US national-security review and Pentagon ban
From the perspective of teens, TikTok is a major new outlet for self-expression, one proudly home to the silly, the loud and the weird.
To others, the Chinese-owned online video service is an unnerving black box that could be sharing information with the Chinese government, making espionage easier, or just promoting videos and songs some parents consider lewd (TikTok denies the first two concerns and says it’s working on the third).
Welcome to the bifurcated world of TikTok, an emerging social-media powerhouse that lets users create and share short videos, many no longer than 15 seconds. “That’s where the Gen Z party is,” says Kory Marchisotto, chief marketer for Elf Cosmetics. “That’s where they’re all hanging out.”
There’s little doubt that TikTok users find it irresistible. But TikTok is also the subject of a US national-security review and a Pentagon ban. US lawmakers are worried about national security and censorship risks posed by TikTok’s Chinese ownership.
TikTok draws so much attention because it’s the first China-owned social-media service to make serious inroads in the West. It’s a smash hit in the US and other countries, attracting celebrities and companies eager to reach kids and young adults disconnected from traditional media. The NFL has an account. So do Chipotle, Reese Witherspoon, and The Washington Post. The US Army previously used it to recruit soldiers.