Searcy, AR (LP)-  Tik Tok, the explosively popular Chinese social media platform, may be approaching the upper limits of its global popularity. The platform launched in 2016 as a lip-syncing app called Musical.ly before being acquired by Byte-dance, now the world’s most valuable startup.

Following an international launch in 2017 and an official re-branding, Tik Tok has since expanded into a unique hybrid somewhere between Vine and YouTube that’s captured the cultural zeitgeist among teenage smartphone owners in unprecedented fashion.

Kelsey Qualls, senior at Searcy High School states, “I like to post short dancing videos and most of them are with my family.” As of Q1 2019, Tik Tok is the most downloaded app on the Apple App Store, with 33 million downloads in a single quarter. The app strongly beats out YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger, which round out the top five. What’s more, this is Tik Tok’s fifth consecutive quarter as the most downloaded app on the Apple App Store. This means that not only is Tik Tok able to keep its current user base strong, but it’s also constantly evolving to attract a new and growing user base.

Emma Duncan, also a senior at Searcy High School and Tik Tok user states,  “I have had a good experience with Tik tok. Its something my friends and I entertain ourselves with I love getting all  my friends together and making funny dance Tik Toks.”

Tik Tok has gained a bulk of its new users in the US by advertising itself using app install ads on Facebook, but it’s not spending as much as it once did. The growth of its US user base has slowed dramatically as a result. It’s been a while since a new social app got big enough, quickly enough, to make nonusers feel they’re missing out from an experience. If we exclude Fortnite, which is very social but also very much a game, the last time an app inspired such interest from people who weren’t on it was…maybe Snapchat?

Developers of the app created it specifically with teenagers in mind. And clearly? They knew exactly what they were doing. According to APP APE LAB, 40% of users are between the ages of 10 and 20. That’s right, kids as young as 10 are some of Tik Tok’s biggest fans. And in an effort to encourage positivity, Tik Tok only has one reaction symbol – a heart. However, there is no firewall in place to dissuade negative comments.

Qualls states, “It could become a bad thing because there are a lot of rude comments.” Tik Tok also has a “Duets” feature, which has been exploited by sexual predators who use the platform to groom underage users. One user in particular, TheBudday, is notorious for performing suggestive duets with underage girls, sending them inappropriate reaction videos, and even attempting to meet up in real life.

Duncan states, “It’s easy to blow up on Tik Tok, and this could lead to unwanted good or bad attention, and negative comments from strangers.”  So is Tik Tok safe for kids? On its merits, Tik Tok is a great way for teens to keep in touch online. But that doesn’t mean the app will always be a safe place to socialize.