During self-isolation and the era of social distancing, the country has come together as a community and clapped for the NHS workers, watched thousands of TikTok videos and held friend and family chats on Houseparty.
It seems like we are more social than ever but are we truly connected?
Houseparty, the group video chatting site, aims to “bring people together [and let] people connect socially even if they’re physically apart.”
Sitting down after a day of home learning, being able to have a long conversation with our closest is just what we need.
With Houseparty available on both Apple and Android, it really does practice the inclusivity that it preaches.
Games and quizzes liven up video calls, making it all the more enjoyable.
The app has proven very popular with young people, as most of my friends use the app daily, declaring that is a ‘saviour’ during these tough times.
TikTok is the app that has taken the world by storm, with a broad assortment of 15 to 60-second clips for every genre; whether that be a comedy, baking or even maths help.
With over 800 million active users across the globe, surpassing that of more well-known apps such as Snapchat and Twitter, the app is never short of new content.
Unsurprisingly, TikTok has had over 1.5 billion downloads in 2019 alone, making it one of the most downloaded social media apps ever.
TikTok has won over the planet’s teenagers, as 41% of the creators on the app belong to the 16-24 age group, forming clans such as the ‘Hype House’ where the most influential and prestigious TikTokers live collectively, focusing on composing content for their fans.
The viral application has attracted a younger audience as a lot of content is directed at the under 18s.
This creates a friendly dynamic between the creator and their audience, where the creator replies to comments and takes video suggestions, breaking the 4th wall and diverging from the usual image of the celebrity being unreachable.
An average of 52 minutes is spent on the app per day. Recently usage has increased due to the Covid-19 crisis with an astonishing 90% of users using TikTok daily.
It is becoming more common for adults to use the app as well, meaning that TikTok houses many communities and age groups.
TikTok’s Rich Waterworth, General Manager UK, states that he is “humbled to see just how many people have taken to TikTok during lockdown and that more and more people of all ages and backgrounds are joining us.”
He also is grateful that so many people have “come on board and express themselves with TikTok.”
The community on TikTok is very diverse, promoting minorities, with every sexuality, gender and ethnicity being fairly and equally represented.
Waterworth believes this is critical as “TikTok has always been a place where diversity is celebrated, but we’ve certainly seen more and more people from different backgrounds joining and creating on TikTok over the last few months”.
With such a positive and inclusive atmosphere on the app, it encourages people to celebrate their culture in challenges such as #BlindingLights.
Along with all my friends, I have been spending hours on TikTok daily as a form of escapism into a world that doesn’t constantly revolve around politics and the coronavirus, just to have that old feeling of ‘normal’ back.
Since the GCSEs and A-levels were cancelled, many 16 and 18-year-olds have taken to the app to voice their frustration, but also to have a light-hearted joke with the thousands of people who feel exactly the same. It’s this sense of community within the app that highlights its individuality and makes it such a pleasant place to connect and socialise.
Just like one big reality show, viewers follow the relationships and breakups of TikTok superstars faithfully.
The ‘For You Page’ is where most of the creators gain their limelight, as videos can go viral overnight, leaving the creators with millions of likes and thousands of followers.
However, fame often disappears just as fast as it appeared, leaving the creators wondering what’s next.
Tiktok is also proving a hit with different age groups.
Birmingham gran Maureen, 69, has become a surprise hit with her granddaughter Livie, 12, with their ‘Grans.World’ clips.
With 142,000 followers and over 1.9 million likes, they found that their following has vastly stayed the same during the Covid-19 quarantine period, thanks to their loyal fanbase.
They are self-isolating separately, keeping in contact via FaceTime, doing TikTok pass their time.
They aim to inspire and encourage others to become closer to their grandparents, stating that they have had positive feedback from their fans.
The pair sometimes feel ‘overwhelmed’ and ‘mindblown’ that so many people view their content, but, nevertheless, say they love what they do.
Going ‘live’ is something that trending with a lot of popular creators, as a way of interacting with their fans, this is something that the ‘Grans.World’ duo does together to be interactive with their large fanbase.
The experienced TikTokers have been creating comedy content for over a year, with Livie being the inspiration behind it all, and asked her grandmother to start the page together.
They found TikTok a way of connecting after Maureen had gone through chemotherapy, to make up for the lost time, and to build a stronger relationship.
The close pair put a lot of effort into building their TikTok account, and spend up to 30 minutes on a single clip.
(Image: TikTok)
Despite TikTok being such a positive app, it can’t be ignored that there is a ‘bully culture’ in the comments section.
This has impacted many of my friends, who have had their videos go viral, making them feel as if there is something wrong with them personally and made them too insecure to post any more videos on TikTok out of fear of being targeted again.
Rich Waterworth says that TikTok “recently joined forces with mental health charity Mind to launch a new #SpeakYourMind challenge” He strongly believes that encouraging people to share messages of “positivity, solidarity, and support”
There have also been remarkable rises in the views for #bekind and #mentalhealth. Waterworth says that “many of our users turn to TikTok to talk about or find out more about mental health”.
He also says that amazing trends such as #ClapForOurCarers and #ThankYouNHS have reached over 800 million views since the crisis began.
Waterworth says that this is “amazing to witness” and it is something that he is “very proud of”.
Raising awareness and talking openly is the key to combating the virtual minefield.
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