I changed my mind about TikTok

Bosporus
BloomrSG
Published in
2 min readNov 15, 2019

“Tik Tok Tik Tok.”

Do you hear that? That sounds like time wasted on TikTok.

For the longest time, I thought that TikTok only consisted of kids doing cringeworthy dances and lip syncing on their phones and other mindless content.

Recently, my friend showed me some TikToks. At first, I did not think much of them. Then, I became curious. I wanted to explore more of TikTok.

I spent a few hours on TikTok and it was not as bad as I thought. Sure, I scrolled through several cringeworthy dances. However, I discovered some hidden gems which made me laugh out loud.

TikTok has creative and entertaining content. You just got to find them.

TikTok does this ONE thing really well.

TikTok trains people to become successful content creators.

With TikTok, people can create content affordably. It provides editing tools like filters, control over video speed, access to professional audio and more.

Young and broke content creators find it difficult to buy expensive audio gear and editing software. They also have to spend a lot of time learning how to use these “sophisticated” and “professional” software.

With Tik Tok, young content creators learn to create engaging videos without the hassle of buying and learning how to use “complicated” equipment and software.

In terms of editing, Tik Tok does not provide as many options as Premiere Pro. However, this limitation allows them to focus on producing creative videos which will engage their viewers.

“The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.” — Orson Welles

TikTok is fun, but it also provides educational content.

National taekwondo exponent Ng Ming Wei, 24, a bronze medallist at the 2015 SEA Games, uses TikTok to get more young people interested in Taekwondo and other sports.

“I love fitness and flexibility and of course, taekwondo. I want to… share my sport with the general public.” — Ng Ming Wei

In October 2019, TikTok announced that it is working with content creators and firms in India to produce educational videos on its platform.

These bite-sized videos will cover several topics, ranging from science and math concepts to learning new languages. TikTok is also featuring videos that give tips on health and mental awareness, and motivational talks.

To be honest, I am watching TikTok purely for entertainment. However, it is nice to know that there is educational content available on TikTok to inspire and educate its users.

I may not be a hardcore fan of TikTok, but I am starting to enjoy the content here. Now, I see it more than just XMMs(Xiao Mei Meis) dancing and lip syncing on their phone.

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