Over the last few years the social media app, Tik Tok, has gained popularity among Gen Z students. The infamous app allows for its creators to upload up to 3 minute videos, and also makes it more easy for its users to go viral than other platforms like Youtube, Instagram, and Twitter. Due to this, the popularity of the app has skyrocketed. The impact of the app on Gen Z is evident through the way teens communicate, like when they often use famous audios from the app. The app also has impacted the way teenagers dress. Many users find outfit inspirations through their favorite creators and anyone they see on their For You page. However with all the positive impacts that Tik Tok has left on Gen Z, some feel that it has made teens too similar and lack any sense of individuality.  The term “chronically online” has been used to describe those who follow the crowd and don’t really think for themselves. 

A lot of those who view Tik Tok videos do get inspiration from them in one way or another. Some people who enjoy the app think that it is easy to be influenced by the app due to the amount of videos that one sees a day. Juniors like Landon Grider think that it is okay to get inspiration from Tik Tok as long as it doesn’t take over one’s whole personality.

“I reference things from Tik Tok all the time and no one knows what I mean, I always have the sounds stuck in my head. Tik tok has also impacted the way I dress. I copy everything from Tik Tok and the people there. However I think that Tik Tok has made some people get their whole personality from Tik Tok and it makes them act stupid,” Grider said.

Some people feel as though Tik Tok is different from every other social media app due to the casualness of the app. Junior Landon Grider agrees.

“People can show more of their life instead of just pictures like on Instagram, people can do like whole videos now on Tik Tok,” said Grider.

Grider also feels that misinformation is spread easily on Tik Tok. This can be seen in the way that the Russia-Ukraine situation was handled on the app.

“All in all I feel like people Tik Tok has had a more negative impact on its users due to the fact that people don’t even do research anymore they just blindly follow what everyone else is doing which is why misinformation gets spread so fast,” Grider said.

Some feel as though Tik Tok is like any other social media app and has both pros and cons. Junior Mikaela Maramba thinks that Tik Tok has influenced all of its users and can be seen as good or bad depending on the way it is being used and who is using the app.

“I wouldn’t say I use Tik Tok as a form of communication but I do use the references when I talk, like when I’m having a conversation a Tik Tok sound may come to mind and I’ll just bring it up in the conversation. Tik Tok is different because it’s easier to express one’s creativity. I think that Tik Tok has had a good impact. It just depends on what side you’re on,” Maramba said.

Some feel as though Tik Tok has made an impact on their personality. Before they had Tik Tok they felt as though they were not as aware and did not have the same sense of humor as ther did before they downloaded the app. Senior, Asia Mayo, thinks that Tik Tok has made her funnier.

“I’m definitely funnier than I was before. But I feel like everyone has the same humor right now. Tik Tok has made Gen Z more united and close I feel like. I feel like Tik Tok has also created business opportunities for teens so now you can be a millionaire at sixteen,” Mayo said.

Many people also share Tik Toks that they can relate to with their friends. There are also opportunities to make Tik Toks with ones friends and go viral as a friend group. Senior, Mia Ortiz, thinks that Tik Tok is an effective method to interact with their friends and acquaintances.

“I feel like it’s kind of an easier way to communicate with people because you can send them Tik Tok and then have conversations about the Tik Tok. If, the conversation is dry or something or y’all have similar interests, you send it to the person and they can find it interesting,” Ortiz said.

All in all Tik Tok has had a major impact on Gen Z and the way they communicate and interact with each other. This goes to show how much social media impacts Gen Z for better or for worse.