Tiktok Cultures
Introducing A Series
I have decided to start a new series, here on Medium, discussing, describing, cataloguing, and just thinking about TikTok and what goes on on that app.
Like many millennials, I’ve found myself increasingly enjoying TikTok in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic (and everything else of 2020–early 2021), even though before the pandemic I was perfectly content to let GenZ have their app. Now though, I’m there all the time and regularly in awe of the creativity I see there, the trends that take off, the collective storytelling the app seems to support…it’s just amazing!
So (in true Millennial fashion), rather than bemoan the wasted writing, thinking, and productivity time spend on TikTok, I’ve decided to “turn my hobby into a hustle,” and start writing about TikTok.
A Few Things to Note
First and foremost, I should note that I have not yet “cracked” the TikTok algorithm that makes you “Famous.” So while I do make content on the app (often participating in trends, rather than completely “original” content), it gets very modest circulation and even more modest appreciation. I’ll post some of my own content here because, why not, and also it keeps things above board, but if you want to find me on TikTok, my handle is [at]idk_my_dcdprof.
Second, my goal here is not to catalogue the entirety of what goes on on TikTok. Instead, I’ll be leaning into the weirdness of the FYP (For You Page: the term on TikTok for your primary feed of videos), and talking first (and probably primarily) about the cultures that make it to my page. That said, I am beyond thrilled to take suggestions of coverage, so feel free to leave a comment or find me on Twitter with recommendations.
Third, I’m going to try to post one entry to this series per week…but as this is very much a “side gig” that may not always be possible.
Alright, cool! This is going to be fun.
Thanks for joining.
