Join the TikTok Trend During Home Quarantine — Yay or Nay?

@lme85Practice makes perfect♬ original sound – novamillermusic

During these times, we all need a place to escape. And because we can’t literally escape at the moment, we’re bound to find alternative safe spaces. This is where TikTok comes in. The app is basically a bottomless pit of entertainment — especially when you love watching random funny things on the Internet.

Videos on TikTok range from 15 seconds to a minute long only. This length makes the platform especially perfect for zillennials who are used to taking in bits of information from everywhere.

Also read: Social Media Stress: How To Survive It Without Deactivating Your Accounts

Con #2: TikTok can expose you to videos you really don’t want to see

It’s so easy to scroll through the TikTok app. Sometimes, this leads users to seeing videos not meant for them. If you have kids, it’s important that you monitor their usage of the app because of a number of crass songs on TikTok. Not to mention, there are several cringy TikTok videos by people wearing and doing things that may offend your eyes.

And since the app is accessible to most, expect to find weird things on it. Picture this: You search “frontliners”, and the app brings you a video of someone dancing with her breasts popping out. But then again, that’s how the Internet rolls.

Pro #3: TikTok is an avenue for easy learning

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I first paid attention to TikTok when the Dalgona coffee trend pointed everyone towards the app. Apparently, there are several easy recipes on TikTok that are perfect to learn during home quarantine. Other than recipes, they also carry makeup hacks, workout routines, dance choreographies, and other informative videos.

Even agencies, like the Department of Health, and activists, like Anna Bogomolova, are using TikTok to reach the younger generations. Battling the decaying attention spans of netizens, the former has used the app to explain how to avoid contracting the COVID-19. Meanwhile, the latter shines a light on the effects of global warming on the Earth.

Con #3: TikTok contains videos that you shouldn’t try, ever

While most viral videos on TikTok are ones that encourage learning and exploration, there are also alarming ones that have made some noise.

For example: The Cha-Cha Slide challenge shows teenagers driving recklessly to the beat of Mr. C The Slide Man’s Cha-Cha Slide. The song contains lyrics that involve movement: Slide to the left / slide to the right / Criss cross / Criss cross / Cha cha real smooth. Then, challengers record themselves swerving their vehicles to the instructions of the song.

Some other dumb challenges that made TikTok trend are the skull breaker challenge, the penny challenge, the choking challenge, and the eye bleach challenge. A warning: Merely reading about these challenges will make your heads ache. Google them at your own risk.

The verdict

Like everything else on the Internet, TikTok has its own pros and cons. If you, like me, can’t stand the TikTok trend, then you’re welcome to ignore it altogether. Just allow others to enjoy things — even when you don’t see the sense in it.

On the other hand, if the app will lift your spirits up, then by all means — go for it. At the end of the day, it’s important to celebrate everything good that life has to offer. And if pleasure for you comes in daily doses of funny TikTok videos, then we’re all for it.

Also read: 15 Filipino TikTok Users To Follow While On Quarantine

What do you think of the TikTok trend? Is it a yay or nay for you? Let us know in the comments!

Featured image credit: Aaron Yoo | Flickr.