TikTok has become one of the most popular apps in recent years for people of all ages— especially for teenagers. It is debatable on if it is a good or harmful thing, but like any social media platform, it can be a little bit of both. Whether good or bad, TikTok has begun to have a strong influence over pop culture in a variety of ways. 

According to the Daily News, TikTok has played a major role in teens’ everyday lives. However, with this app playing such a huge role, it has taken a toll on numerous teens’ mental health. Writer Alan Blotcky stats that, “TikTok has been shown to disrupt sleep. It can be distracting from normal developmental tasks.” Though it can be fun to scroll for hours on end, getting enough sleep at night is crucial for everyday life functions.

TikTok has also become a major hotspot for new and upcoming artists. According to Insider,  “TikTok has become a hub for labels to promote both new releases and back catalog tracks.” With TikTok having such a large influence on the music industry, songs that go with the latest TikTok trends may skyrocket in sales and popularity while also increasing the popularity of the artist, turning an unknown artist into the next big hit.

The music industry isn’t the only impact TikTok has, it also influences the way people speak. According to The Huntington News, “Some people adapt to slang and catchphrases and embed it into their normal speech.Phrases like “period” and “slay” both blew up on TikTok and can now be heard from people around the country. 

TikTok has also become a huge hotspot for current events around the world, educating the youth. However, sometimes the information may be biased and it is always best for teens to look at outside sources, like NPR and USA today. According to The Medium, during the pandemic TikTok has been a useful outlet for teachers to help tutor kids all around the world in multiple subjects. This not only helped varying students, but it also gave teachers a chance to do their passion

Currently the app has no restrictions on who c.an join, so it is recommended that parents monitor their children’s accounts and make sure everything is okay on their end. TikTok is also designed to be a highly-addictive app with maximum time limit being three minutes per video, making it difficult for the “scroller” to get bored, leading to hours on end spent on this “never-ending” app. This in turn is making teens more addicted to their phones and decreasing social interaction.

TikTok has had a huge impact on today’s society and adolescents, however it is the users choice on whether the impact is positive or negative.