Why TikTok is popular among teens

The social media is one thing you have heard thousand of times since you are a child. Alternatively, as a parent you may have noticed your child discussing about the social networking applications. Perhaps you have heard people talking about security issues and social media platforms.

TikTok provide a range of cool content for the teens to watch and enjoy. But, it’s not all about   awkward challenges and dance videos that TikTok offers. The platform is the most popular search and discovery tool used by the teens. This early development and growth of the application has caught the attention of giant search engines like Google.

 Is TikTok specifically more popular among teens?

Today’s kids are absolutely crazy about technology and social media. Its almost the second nature of them to hop online, spend time scrolling the feeds and chat with their friends. And when it comes to new applications and tech, they're always the first in line to give them a try.

That's why TikTok has become such a hit with the youngsters constantly promoting the platform. Its features are tailored perfectly to their needs and preferences. Everyone is too impulsive in today’s era, and this is the case specially with the youngsters. Gen Z-ers crave short, and fun content that they can enjoy on-the-go, and TikTok delivers just that with its bite-sized videos set to popular tunes. The easy and simplified form of communication for the teens.  That’s the foremost reason why the application has become a staple among teens.

Tiktok is crushing YouTube in annual study of teens app usage

The annual review of global app usage behavior among teens and child globally state that minors ranging from 4-18 years began to watch TikTok more often than YouTube. This is the report of June 2020 and since than the numbers have doubled up significantly and continued to grow ever since. 

In June 2020, TikTok overtook YouTube for the first time with an average watch of 83 minutes for kids and teenagers. Whereas on YouTube the average time for teens is recorded as 75 minutes.  Furthermore, the gulf between the two applications widened in 2022, with average daily time of Tiktok is 107 minutes. The numbers rose significantly and almost its greater than 60% of the time spent watching YouTube videos which is 67 minutes.

Why is TikTok popular among the teens?

TikTok application has brought video production to the next level by streamlining and automating the process. The ease of platform is one of the main reasons of success of this application. The users just need to videotape everything and its cherry on top if they use the latest hashtag and follow the latest trends to keep their audience hooked. The short format is easy to scroll and users immediately develop interest in the content of their choice.

There are plenty of reasons why teens prefer and use this platform. Low subscription cost, free registration and other benefits would make it possible to attract the talented teen performers. But let’s dig deep in the details of TikTok, as an excellent platform.

 For you page and its algorithm

The discovery feed of the application is referred as “For You “page.  The “FYP” is so addictive for teens that they keep on scrolling the feed for long hours without getting bored.  The page serve as the main timeline for users to discover new content. 

TikTok uses the modern approaches of AI and machine learning to show user specific content to engage users for a long duration of time. The meticulous monitoring of the application of all you do on feed is a great way to know your interest and later keep you engaged with the content of same genre.

Easy competition to make colossal fan following

The dream of having huge fan following is the dream for all the social media users. What makes TikTok distinct from other social networking sites? The rush of making more and more followers   through video content is much easier on TikTok.  Teens showcase their creativity in unique and persuasive style. Hence through this approach they are able to gain large fan following in a short span of time.

Localized Content

The primary factor reason of TikTok’s success is its ability to provide localized content on a global scale. TikTok provides a mix of universal content, which capture the essence of various regions.

The app regularly runs local challenges and competitions, using region-specific hashtags to target different geographical regions. For instance, in various countries, TikTok hosts the "1 million Auditions" contest. The participants are given certain themes to create TikTok’s and the best creators are rewarded. This smart strategy not only encourages user-generated content, but it also helps creators gain more followers.

By prioritizing localized content, TikTok has managed to captivate the attention of teens by showing them TikTok’s that resonates with their culture and background.

Range of Functionalities for creators

TikTok has developed the best tool kit to edit short videos on your PC or mobile. Easy editing, various filters and vast music library are all included in a single application. The developer tool has incorporated the modern functionalities previously available only on Adobe. For teens of every social class, it breaks the barriers and unleashes visual imagination in ways that are never possible before.

In a nutshell, TikTok is popular among teens but it’s common for parents to feel overwhelmed, but you don’t need to worry in this case as you don’t need to be technology expert to use TikTok. For teens TikTok also poses a certain restriction on the content for teens to enjoy while staying in their boundaries.