TikTok – a tool for social awareness

Social media platform highlights critical issues, promotes change during discourse

KARACHI:

In a world where social media platforms come and go with the speed of a swipe, TikTok has emerged not just as a fleeting trend but also as a cultural juggernaut as its influence is astonishing on big competitors including Instagram, Meta/Facebook, X and even YouTube with the introduction of short videos.

This social media platform is more popular among the youth. It is also gaining more and more popularity in the rural areas of Pakistan and the impoverished neighbourhoods.

The unique algorithm of TikTok is engineered to offer every video a fair shot at viral popularity, making the app a refreshing change from the often exclusionary world of social media. The platform has also proven itself as a potent tool for activism and raising social awareness. Users utilise TikTok to share critical views, highlight societal issues and promote change, thereby making it an active player in cultural discourse.

According to Sprout Social, 81% of consumers want to see more short-form videos from brands in 2024.

In 2022, Google vice president said that around 40% of young people don't go to Google Maps or Search anymore when looking for a service or venue, they go to TikTok or Instagram instead. TikTok's popularity has influenced many of its rivals to pivot towards video-centric algorithms and features tailored for short video content.

TikTok is different from other social media platforms as it has short-lived videos from 30 seconds to 2 minutes as viewers love them because of the dearth of time, while Instagram and Meta/Facebook are famous for endless memes and images, respectively. Launched in China in 2016 by ByteDance, TikTok has over 1.4 billion active monthly users around the world. It was introduced in all foreign countries in 2017. It gained immense popularity after 2020 in Pakistan, while it was banned four times. According to ByteDance advertising resources in early 2024, TikTok has over 54.38 million users in Pakistan.

It was the most popular downloaded social media app platform of the world in 2020 when it had more than 2 billion downloads.

Despite its popularity, it was also banned by a number of countries such as India, Afghanistan, the UK, France and others.

There are 170 million active users in the US, while almost 154 countries use it. TikTok revenue from the US touched $16 billion in 2023 as adult users in the country spend an average of 53.8 minutes per day on this popular platform.

Indonesia has the largest TikTok using population, with almost 127.5 million users in 2023. TikTok is the fifth largest social media platform with over 1.4 billion monthly active users after Google with around 5.9 billion, YouTube over 3.5 billion, Facebook/Meta almost 3.3 billion, WhatsApp more than 3 billion, and Instagram 2.4 billion.

Moreover, Telegram has 950 million active users, Snapchat 800 million and X (Twitter) 550 million.

TikTok content producer and SI Global Solutions Secretary Ayesha Shaikh, who has been producing content and earning for a few years, said TikTok can be a significant earning platform.

Content creators like Addison Rae, who reportedly earned $5 million in 2020, demonstrate the potential with earnings depending on the size of audience and engagement. The TikTok Creator Fund, brand sponsorships and live gifts are key revenue streams for creators, but success requires consistency and compelling content, she said.

TikTok is a popular marketing tool. For example, Chipotle's #GuacDance campaign generated over 250,000 video submissions.

Beginners should start by creating content using trending hashtags and collaborating with micro-influencers. TikTok Ads and the TikTok for business platform help newcomers market their products effectively. Beginners can start by creating content around their niche and using TikTok's shopping feature. For example, entrepreneur Jera Foster-Fell grew her business using TikTok's viral trends, turning her personal brand into a profitable venture. Following trends and engaging with followers is crucial to generate income over time.

TikTok's appeal even in rural areas of Pakistan is due to its short, visually engaging videos that don't require strong language skills. By 2023, Pakistan had over 15 million active users despite being banned four times. The combination of accessible mobile internet and culturally relevant content has contributed to its growth. TikTok's built-in tools like effects, filters and music make it easy to create viral content. For instance, Zach King's six-second "Magic Broomstick" video received over 2 billion views.

TikTok's algorithm favours content that quickly garners high engagement, helping posts achieve viral status almost instantly.

The US has hegemony as it intends to buy TikTok because of a couple of reasons including national security concerns, geopolitical tensions, reservations about misinformation, economic competition and others. It attempted to ban the platform many times.

As TikTok has grown rapidly, it has become a formidable competitor to the US social media companies like Meta/Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Some have speculated that the push to ban TikTok may also be partly driven by economic interests to protect US-based tech giants.

IT and social media analyst Saad Shah said TikTok is one of the favourite social media platforms among youngsters, surprisingly in rural areas, on account of its niche of infotainment. Its popularity among users is increasing due to its user-friendly features of creating content on different subjects, including entertainment, sports, religion, and education.

A section of users is addicted to this application for consumption and content development. A few of them become celebrities and influencers with millions of followers and a capacity to engage commercial clients and even policymakers to spread their messages across a wide audience.

The platform also encourages its accountholders to monetize their accounts through original and adopted content, which is easier than other platforms and a major reason to attract a huge audience.

The social media platform was twice banned in the country, but it follows the rules prescribed by the local regulator, which helps the application maintain its popularity and consumption among its users.

In the past, TikTok, along with regulators, took various productive initiatives, including the deletion of objectionable content, creating awareness among masses of elections, fake information, and digital safety.

However, the platform should be used for the promotion of education, awareness of health and hygiene, and improvement in general literacy (technological and financial). The potential of the platform could be further utilised for productive activities through collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

"TikTok management sees Pakistan as an emerging market," Saad Shah said.

The writer is a staff correspondent