What is it, how it was born and how the new social network (that is making kids crazy) works.
Reading time: 2.30 m.
Let’s start with “what”: TikTok is a social network founded in China in 2016 by the start-up ByteDance, through which sharing videos with the ambition to become as much viral as possible without disappearing. The platform is extremely cool between the ZGen (the Z generation, those born between 1997 and 2010).
With a billion and a half users already registered and a growth rate that make it among the most downloaded apps in the world, TikTok allows to make short music videos, from 15 to 60 seconds, which are then shared with the rest of the community, not before changing the playback speed and adding filters and effects.
The planetary phenomenon is documented by impressive figures, and, moreover, linked to a target, from 10 to 25 years-old, considered high potential by companies. The result is that Tik Tok has reached € 7 billion in sales after 3 years from birth!
Very short videos, with a musical background, and modified, with results sometimes on the borderline between the funny and the trash; a library full of music to be used as a background to create comic videos, challenges, clips, ballets, parkour (moving from one point to another in an obstacle course), and so on. And TikTok allows creators and influencers to make money from their videos.
The very specific and particular target attracts the attention of companies and even politicians: Salvini’s trash ballet on the terrace was something that we all would have happily spared! In fact, if the minimum age to register is thirteen, it would perhaps be appropriate to enter a maximum age, probably!
The particular target is raising numerous critical issues in terms of cybersecurity to protect youth, an issue that is attracting the attention of governments against the social network. First of all, the United States, in their continuous hostility to the Chinese world, launched the Intelligence against TikTok to show that it represents a potential risk for national security.
But even in the UK there are troubled waters around the Chinese social network: The Guardian has conducted an investigation accusing ByteDance of censorship about contents considered inconvenient by the Chinese government. Hypothesis sent back to the sender, with the statement that content moderation is conducted according to US laws.
However, TikTok is a global phenomenon and is probably one of the most powerful expressions of communication of youth. Companies and institutions cannot avoid this new platform to speak the same language of a target as important as difficult. And maybe to speak, indirectly to parents and grandparents, as well!
Commenti Facebook