TikTok: a new addiction?

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Kilaya Jennings, Staff Writer

You may have noticed recently that several videos on Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat have been created on the app TikTok. You’re not alone. TikTok has over 500 million active users all around the world, making it the most downloaded app in recent months. 

“I like TikTok because there are so many people that can question you and cosplayers of all colors and sizes can be themselves,” freshman Cemiriuh Cumby said.

TikTok is an app for creating and sharing short lip sync, comedy and talent videos that launched in 2017. Developer ByteDance then purchased startup musical.ly for roughly $1 billion and merged it with TikTok in 2018.

This past year, TikTok, which is available in 150 markets and in 75 languages, had more than 33 million installs. 

“I think that TikTok is just filled with people who are competing to become more popular or ‘relatable’ but also setting unrealistic expectations for beauty,” sophomore Alexis Galindo said. 

TikTok has given exposure and opportunities to many people around the world. Users spend an average of 58 minutes per day on the app, with some opening the app four or five times a day and using it for around a half an hour daily. 

“It’s good to explore and be yourself on the app but it should not become an addiction,” sophomore Kennice Johnson said.