Tag: tiktok

TikTok Is The Latest Battleground – There’s A Long History Of Dances Being Pilfered For Profit
CULTURE, VIDEO REELS

TikTok Is The Latest Battleground – There’s A Long History Of Dances Being Pilfered For Profit

Jill Vasbinder, University of Maryland, Baltimore County In January 2020, 14-year-old Jalaiah Harmon created what would become one of the biggest viral dance sensations on TikTok. But few users knew that Harmon, who is Black, invented the dance, which she dubbed the Renegade – at least not until a month later, when The New York Times drew attention to her case. That’s because a TikTok user had copied the dance, and it was that TikToker’s rendition that went viral. Because Harmon didn’t get credit, she wasn’t able to reap the benefits of more views and followers, which, in turn, could have led to collaborations and sponsorships. Harmon is only the latest in a long list of women and people of color whose choreography and dance work have been pilfered for profit – a story that dates back ...
Teens Use Viral Trend TikTok To Speak Out About Their #MeToo Sexual Harassment Experiences
LIFESTYLE

Teens Use Viral Trend TikTok To Speak Out About Their #MeToo Sexual Harassment Experiences

A recent TikTok video that has been liked by almost half a million people encourages girls to record themselves putting one finger down for every time they have been sent unsolicited dick pics, begged for nudes, catcalled, repeatedly asked out after already saying no, and forced to do something sexual when they didn’t want to. Similar videos about sexual assault posted by young women became popular in 2020. The new video is aimed at teens and focuses on sexual harassment. By calling attention to how common sexual harassment is for teen girls, the “Put a finger down: Sexual harassment edition” video has become the 2021 TikTok teen version of the #MeToo movement of 2017. This trend brings together two nearly universal realities in the lives of teen girls: the ubiquitous presence of social ...
Giving Us Rebel Nurses And Dancing Cops – TikTok Is Upending Workplace Social Media Policies
SOCIAL MEDIA, VIDEO REELS, WORK

Giving Us Rebel Nurses And Dancing Cops – TikTok Is Upending Workplace Social Media Policies

As the Thanksgiving holiday was winding down, a medical center in Salem, Oregon, found itself in the middle of a frothing social media mess. A nurse named Ashley Grames posted a video on TikTok that went viral in which she mock-confessed to ignoring coronavirus health guidelines. The video – which Grames has since taken down, though it remains available on other feeds – is less than 15 seconds long. And if you’re not familiar with TikTok tropes, the video will seem very weird. The nurse is wearing scrubs and seemingly at a medical facility. She lip-syncs to a short audio clip from “The Grinch” and mocks her co-workers’ outrage at her decision to flout the state mask mandate outside of work. The nurse’s antics drew some unflattering attention to her employer, Salem Health, which suspended...
Banning apps like TikTok and WeChat is a good way to ensure a country will trail in tech leadership and profits
BUSINESS, SOCIAL MEDIA

Banning apps like TikTok and WeChat is a good way to ensure a country will trail in tech leadership and profits

The Trump administration’s decision to force the sale of TikTok to a U.S. buyer is, to many, the latest sign the global internet is splintering into national and regional blocs. This has been a concern for several years now, as authoritarian countries such as Russia, China and Iran erect walls around their cyberspace, and democracies like the U.S., India and the European Union cite national security when blocking specific foreign companies like ByteDance’s TikTok and Tencent’s WeChat. The reality, however, is a lot more complicated – at least when it comes to social media companies. I study global media design and the localization of technology. My research suggests that while social media users are indeed splintering regionally and nationally, the companies themselves are becoming more...
The US has lots to lose and little to gain by banning TikTok and WeChat
SOCIAL MEDIA

The US has lots to lose and little to gain by banning TikTok and WeChat

The Trump administration’s recently announced bans on Chinese-owned social media platforms TikTok and WeChat could have unintended consequences. The orders bar the apps from doing business in the U.S. or with U.S. persons or businesses after Sept. 20 and require divestiture of TikTok by Nov. 12. The executive orders are based on national security grounds, though the threats cited are to citizens rather than the government. Foreign policy analysts see the move as part of the administration’s ongoing wrestling match with the Chinese government for leverage in the global economy. Whatever the motivation, as someone who researches both cybersecurity and technology policy, I am not convinced that the benefits outweigh the costs. The bans threaten Americans’ freedom of speech, and may harm for...
TikTok is a unique blend of social media platforms – here’s why kids love it
SOCIAL MEDIA

TikTok is a unique blend of social media platforms – here’s why kids love it

TikTok, a social media platform targeted at young mobile phone users, was the second-most downloaded app in the world in 2019. It was the most downloaded app in July 2020. It’s also become a geopolitical football. Owned by Chinese company ByteDance, TikTok has been banned by India along with 58 other Chinese-owned apps in July in response to escalating border tensions between the two countries. The Trump administration issued an executive order banning TikTok and Chinese-owned messaging platform WeChat from engaging in transactions in the United States beginning on Sept. 15. The company sued the Trump administration in August in response to the ban. As a political scientist who studies social media, I’ve looked at what makes TikTok unique and why young people have flocked to it. In short...
What to know about controversial app TikTok
SOCIAL MEDIA

What to know about controversial app TikTok

Social media is often referred to as both a blessing and a curse. And, when new apps emerge and gain popularity, especially among children, teens and young people, they are scrutinized widely for content and effect. TikTok is a current target. Parents magazine in February expressed: “Gen Z can’t get enough of TikTok. But if you’re worried about what exactly your kids are getting, you’re not alone.” At its core, TikTok may seem harmless enough. Androidcentral.com last August defined the app as one that offers users the ability to create short videos, ranging from 15 to 60 seconds, with access to unique filters, stickers and other video editing software options. TikTok’s safety concerns, addressed by Parents, include: 1. Predators can access the app — and often do — to provide flattery...