Week 9: TikToks on TikTok + @adamrayokay + plot twists
I’m Kira & this is my weekly highlight of notable TikTok trends and creators.
Let’s discuss the ultimate meta-trend: TikToks that talk about TikTok. As a surprise to nobody, there aren’t many videos glorifying TikTok itself; of the videos that explicity call out the app, they’re typically ones of criticism.
The most common way that people talk about TikTok is to discuss the addiction that they have to the app. It may be ironic that they’re posting about a TikTok addiction on TikTok, but it’s nevertheless impressive that a generation raised on social media has the self-awareness to recognize its ills. Some TikToks blame social media apps in general, especially ones like Instagram that center around beautiful pictures of beautiful people, but other videos cite TikTok-specific attributes.
Part of this addiction can be blamed on TikTok’s design, that of the never-ending scroll of its home page (“for you page”) and autoplayed videos. In fact, a Senate bill introduced last July seeks to ban these features in all social media content feeds, deeming them so psychologially addicting that they “substantially impede freedom of choice.” Swipe up just once more and you’ll be rewarded with yet another 15-60 second video - so easy that it’s hard to stop.
Another common type of video focuses on TikTok’s censorship and content moderation. This is a touchy subject for TikTok after they caught flak for deactivating the account of someone who called out the Uyghur genocide in China, which they claimed was a mistake. (TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is Chinese.) There have been plenty of other TikToks bringing attention to the Uyghur genocide that have been left on the app. Others videos talk about TikTok’s unfair moderation in different areas.
One example is around verification; similar to Twitter and Instagram, “popular creators” receive a blue checkmark next to their name. Some creators express frustration that they haven’t been verified yet, feeling as though it’s deserved given their popularity, while others dismiss the congratulations they received after getting verified, saying they didn’t care in the first place. Another criticism on TikTok’s content moderation concerns shadow banning, where a creator’s videos are not shown to the app’s viewers, drastically reducing their popularity. Similarly, creators express anger when TikTok takes down their videos or their whole account.
In the end, TikTok’s viewers and creators are aware enough to recognize TikTok as a business. They criticize its ties to China and call out the profits it receives from drama between teenage creators. They identify the ways in which TikTok tries to keep its viewers on the app, even at the expense of their “psychological freedom.” They criticize what they deem unfair treatment, including improperly removing videos or withholding verification. It’s encouraging that TikTok’s audience doesn’t passively consume its rules and submit to its authority, instead insisting on a dialogue between platform and user base. In fact, such a back-and-forth conversation fits the symbiotic relationship between the two - one cannot live without the other!
This week highlights @adamrayokay, not only for his creation of the quotable character Rosa, but also for the reaction and response that his videos receive.
Adam’s account is fairly new, with his first video posted last November. All of his videos since Christmas have been in character as Rosa, a Latina girl with poorly-applied fake eyelashes, overdone contour, and long acrylic nails (with a few missing). His Rosa videos are POVs of her life in a classroom, such as complaining about how the room smells of poop, showing off a hickey, or talking about her hangover. As of time of writing, all 15 Rosa videos have been a hit, each one receiving anywhere from 2.5 to 7.5 million views.
But his account’s popularity can also be measured by how many parody videos have been created in response. As a reminder, a core feature of TikTok is when a new video uses the audio track of an existing video. So after Adam posts a video speaking to the camera, someone can copy that audio and make a video of their own. Nearly all of his Rosa videos have thousands of parodies, whether they use his audio in a new situation or provide the other side of the conversation. For example, in one video Rosa asks her friend for a dollar to get a slushie from 7/11. Others have spinned the audio to imagine a confrontation with the tooth fairy or to mock Wikipedia’s persistent donation requests.
The responses to Adam’s video perfectly capture the collaborative side of TikTok. Inspiration is not limited to life events or song lyrics, but other creators on the app. The results in a a feeling of kinship with others on the platform, sharing inside jokes. You watch one video, keep scrolling, then later watch someone else reference it, making you feel in on the joke.
We have a three-way tie for the winner of the Biggest Plot Twist award. (I wish I didn’t have to title it, lest the surprise be ruined!) The introduction for each will be intentionally brief. The first winner demonstrates her efforts to put her head and arms in her sweatshirt. The second winner introduces us to her dorm room cat. The third and final winner opens up a window.
The award for Most Satisfying Video goes to this synced up walk in an oddly designed public bathroom. Their walk is also (sort of) synced with the music, which is even better!
The award for Best Educational Rant goes to this girl pointing out the hypocrisy in the criticism thrown at girls on TikTok. She calls out three conflicting ways that people bring down girls, which other girls are particularly guilty of doing.
Finally, the award for Most Impressive Physical Feat goes to Demi Babgy doing a partner stunt on the beach. Never heard of Demi Babgy? Applaud yourself for never having gotten lost in YouTube like I have. She’s a teenage fitness influencer who is crazy strong and posts videos doing insane fitness challenges.
That’s all folks! See you next week!