Is TikTok just a distraction from life or is it influencing the way we live? According to the website BackLinko, TikTok has 1.12 billion monthly users who spend an average of 53.8 minutes a day on the app. Individuals’ overwhelming use of the app is taking over the way people’s originality and expression of themselves.

There is no denying that certain beauty standards and fashion trends reinforce the way we dress, act and live. Spending an endless amount of time viewing people who are “popular” because of their appearance makes us want to change.

Personally, my style changes quite frequently with new micro trends like bows, cheetah print, Utah curls, among other trends. The result of this is nobody is actually their true self because we are constantly adapting to new standards. The stores we shop at aren’t helping either. Stores are constantly creating new clothing to adapt to the trends seen on TikTok so is there really any way out of being unoriginal?

What makes this so impactful is that TikTok has embedded itself into our everyday lives and is influencing what we buy, wear and even eat and drink. For younger generations, TikTok has become a tool of inspiration. Kids no longer have the opportunity to decide for themselves what they like because they are constantly fed new standards. It almost feels
like we have no control over what we like because we are so focused on what others think.

TikTok is no longer an app that cures our boredom and rests our mind. It is now a platform that is completely transforming who people are and practically making us clones of each other.

Next time you’re in a big group setting, take a moment to notice how each person is just like the next. The only thing setting us apart is our natural features that TikTok doesn’t have the capability to provide.