Cultural impact of TikTok
The online video platform TikTok has had worldwide a social, political, and cultural impact since its global launch in September 2016.
[1] TikTok's diverse content ecosystem includes popular niches such as music, fitness, beauty, education, and gaming, which cater to a wide range of audiences.
American artist Lil Nas X notably rose to fame after his song "Old Town Road" went viral on TikTok in 2019.
[12] American singer Halsey said in 2022 that her label was stopping her from releasing a new song if she didn't agree to "fake a viral moment on TikTok".
[15] An increasing proportion of Generation Z internet users have also started using TikTok as their preferred search engine over Google.
TikTok has turned into a political landscape, where young individuals are consuming far-right related content on a daily basis.
[17] TikTok has addressed multiple times that hateful content, related to far-right ideologies, is being banned and removed from their platform.
[23] The same year, several videos of different Waffle House branches refusing to serve custom orders from TikTok went viral on the platform.
[26] Shein successfully worked with influencers on TikTok and Instagram to grow its business by sending them free clothing and discount codes to share with their followers that earn them a commission on sales.
[39] The author Colleen Hoover who rose to popularity on BookTok saw six of her books reach the top ten of The New York Times Best Seller list in the paperback trade fiction section in October 2022.
[40] An analyst from the book sales tracking service BookScan said that BookTok "remains the industry’s most important platform for discovering new writers".
[45] In 2022, the United States suffered shortages of Ozempic after it became a trend on the platform to use the medication off-label for its weight loss effects.
[46] Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration reported that Ozempic's popularity on TikTok had contributed to a global shortage of the medication.
Dr. Corey Basch, a public health professor, points out that TikTok's algorithm can create echo chambers.
[17] Users who engage with posts about anxiety or despair may find themselves bombarded with similar content, which can lead to a harmful cycle.
This surge in mental health discussions has also contributed to more young people self-diagnosing conditions like ADHD and anxiety before consulting a professional.
Additionally, misinformation is a growing problem, studies have found that some videos about therapies, like cognitive behavioral therapy, include inaccurate or misleading information TikTok has played a huge role in shaping hustle culture, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, blurring the lines between work and personal life.
TikTok gives a wide range of content, from productivity hacks to messages about self-care, offering users the chance to define their own balance.
[53] In 2023, Spotify redesigned its home screen to have a similar scrolling interface to TikTok and Reddit also added a separate video feed to its mobile app.
[56] A 2021 study by Adweek and Morning Consult found that 49 percent of TikTok users bought goods or services after seeing them being discussed or promoted on the platform.
Other items, like Cat Crack catnip and Isle of Paradise tanning spray, sold out within days after viral posts.
