I’m Almost 40, and I Love TikTok

Like many people at the beginning of the pandemic, I was looking for some extra distractions while the world shut down. I joined TikTok because I saw a few people I enjoy on social media taking part. It has grown in just a few months to be one of my favorite social platforms.

I am not the core demographic for TikTok. Many of my most beloved creators are at least a decade younger than me. I am also mostly a passive user, and I have only really created a couple TikToks of my own. However, I have come to really enjoy my interactions with such a diverse group of users, many of whom seem wise beyond their years.

When someone first joins TikTok, the videos are mostly teenagers doing made up dances and the big things TikTok is mostly known for. However, as the app learns about your likes and dislikes, it tailors itself more to your personality, and people often carve themselves into different corners of TikTok. As a gay person, for instance, I get a lot of content from LGBTQ people, affectionately known as Gay TikTok. As a teacher and someone who likes learning, I also get videos from people who post about educational topics: linguistics, teaching, and history. I even follow one person who talks mostly about lakes around the world. I follow a pretty diverse group of people on the app. It doesn’t take long to find the niche of TikTok that suits you.

However, my favorite thing about TikTok is how many people are willing to be vulnerable there. A lot of my favorite TikTokers feel like they can be open with their users, and talk about their lives. People talk about their lives, their mental health, and many people do their best to help others feel better about their own lives. One person I follow even came out on TikTok. There’s a certain intimacy about the app that I have never gotten from Twitter and Instagram. Even as someone with many friends and supportive family, it has helped me feel less alone some nights.

As an older person who knows myself pretty well, watching people’s videos has definitely helped me feel more positive about the chaos of 2020. I can only imagine what it must be like for someone in their teens or early 20’s in dealing with today’s pressures.

TikTok does have its problems like any social media app, and it has gotten a bad wrap because of our current president’s obsession with its connections to China. However, I am so happy to have found it, and I hope other people can see it as the resource it can be.