There's a reason people are spending so much time on TikTok -
and it has to do with how our brains are wired.
Carole Baskin. Killed her husband, whacked him.
It’s been downloaded more than 2 billion times around the world.
But coronavirus took its popularity to the next level.
The once Gen Z-exclusive app isn’t so exclusive anymore.
People of all ages and professions are joining the platform by the millions.
But why has TikTok specifically
gotten so popular during a global pandemic?
We’re going to look at why the app has become a coping mechanism,
and what its popularity tells us about human behavior and evolution.
Doop doo do do doo.
I got the corona flu, watch out I might give it to you.
With many people social distancing and following stay-at-home orders,
it’s pretty clear that social life has been disrupted.
So, folks might be experiencing a desire for social interaction and connection.
That need to stay connected is rooted in how humans evolved.
Humans are social beings
and throughout human history
we have needed to rely upon others
for our ultimate survival.
Our brains have evolved to expect others and proximity to others.
Dr. Holt-Lunstad’s research focuses on the health effects
social isolation and loneliness have on us.
Neuroscience evidence to suggest
that being close to others
or trying to maintain that proximity is
a biological motive similar to hunger and thirst.
And so we're turning to more creative
ways to try to satisfy that desire
to be with others.
In 2017, the former U.S. surgeon general referred
to loneliness as an epidemic in the country.
And in April 2020, nearly 30% of adult Americans reported
that they felt lonelier than usual.
Another survey puts that number even higher, at 47%.
When we lack proximity to others,
this can in essence put us in a state
of heightened alert.
This can result in heightened blood pressure,
heart rate, inflammatory processes,
increases in stress hormones.
My own research has even shown that
loneliness increases risk for
earlier death by 26%,
social isolation by 29%,
and living alone by 32%.
This means that as many of us are feeling lonely during the pandemic,
we might be lowering our life expectancy.
But some good news is...
We found is that when people
are socially connected,
have a 50% increase odds of survival.
So we're seeing people use
some of these digital tools
to connect emotionally,
to feel a sense of belonging.
And that is a crucial point from Dr. Holt-Lunstad:
The need to connect emotionally and feel like we belong
plays a big role in the success of social media apps.
Especially TikTok.
The app features 15-second videos created by individual users.
The more popular content ranges from dance videos
to medical experts giving advice.
The most raw authenticity
that you can find online,
it's people in their bedrooms,
dancing and playing around
and being themselves.
This is Jack Rogers. He's co-founded a couple apps himself,
which focus on dating and relationships.
People crave authenticity today
and they can't really get it
anywhere else anymore.
TikTok was downloaded 315 million times
in the first quarter of 2020 alone.
That’s the most downloads ever
for any app in a quarter.
There’s a very specific age group that is turning to TikTok
to find a community and relieve stress during the pandemic.
As of January 2020,
more than 60% of TikTok users
in the U.S. are under the age of 30.
And the largest number of users
are under the age of 19.
Or Gen Zs - those born after 1996.
During the first month
of stay-at-home orders,
the physical activity of Gen Z
college students went down
more than 50%.
On the flip side,
the amount of time they spend on TikTok
went up nearly 300%.
So, what is it about TikTok specifically that has led it to explode
in popularity during coronavirus?
What is it that keeps people scrolling through videos for hours?
From a creator content standpoint,
it's an extremely creative-friendly platform.
Rogers says the reasons for TikTok’s unprecedented growth
depends on a few different components:
content creation strategy,
consumer behavior and psychology.
It's the kind of platform where anyone
can make their dreams come true
from a 10-second video.
There's also really low barriers
to actually creating content.
And then on the consumer side,
it's definitely winning the war
of authenticity.
So you have apps like Instagram
where, you know, people are kind of,
the content on there can be kind of
very structured or overly produced.
Human evolution may play a part in why people keep watching.
Essentially there are three kind
of human behaviors,
laughing, singing and dancing,
that we kind of learned as we evolved.
And what they do is they essentially kick into action our endorphin system.
Reduces feelings of pain and
it increases feelings of pleasure.
And the fact that the product is built
entirely around those things
is not a coincidence.
They're kind of human evolution instincts
to keep watching because
they feel closer to the people
in the videos, even though
they don't know each other.
Like most apps, Rogers says that TikTok has also created a very smart algorithm
that’s designed to keep users on the app
scrolling through the dashboard for hours.
It uses artificial intelligence to track user interests and activity,
and then delivers videos that fit those trends.
When you get onto an app like TikTok
versus other apps,
they immediately start feeding you
content and they learn extremely quickly
what's relevant to you.
It's in a sort of younger phase
of development where the algorithm
is probably very much fine-tuned
at the moment for growth.
Many creators find unique ways to show off their creativity on TikTok.
Bounce, shake, twirl, dip this is how you do the dip.
That sh*t gorgeous. Standing on the table Rosé, Rosé.
Dr. Holt-Lunstad says research shows that
creative expression promotes a sense of connection
and also reduces loneliness.
The act of creating itself,
making something
or performing something
or expressing something,
then that in and of itself
may be therapeutic.
But then, by sharing it with others,
you now have a shared experience.
And then, there’s “remix culture”- where users share popular sounds
and viral trends to create their own videos.
Look, I just flipped the switch. Flip, flip. I don't know nobody.
This helps to create a sense of community
because everyone is doing the same thing around the same time.
Ultimately, experts say TikTok’s purpose is to entertain.
You're essentially tapping into
kind of an infinite feed of happiness
when you go on TikTok.
But like most social media apps, TikTok isn’t all sunshine.
Users address serious issues on the app.
Most recently, a remix of “This is America” by Childish Gambino has gone viral.
This is America. Don't catch you slippin' now.
It's an anthem to protest police brutality against Black people.
There’s also been reports of
bullying and harassment.
Now the company does give users the ability
to report inappropriate content or users.
But despite the role TikTok may be playing in offering
a sense of community during a time of crisis,
it still doesn't replace genuine human interaction.
Dr. Holt-Lunstad says the pandemic is a difficult time for many
and that it’s important to regularly check in on people,
especially those we are close with.
One of the best things that
someone can do is be
a source of support to others.
This idea of: that we have people that we can count on,
knowing that we have someone that we can rely on,
the situation doesn't feel
as overwhelming.
It feels more manageable.
TikTok has shown exceptional growth during the pandemic -
but will this trend continue?
And what does a post-COVID world look like for social media?
They've taken offline social behaviors,
singing, laughing, dancing,
behaviors related to human connection
and they've actually leveraged those things to create a platform
that is extremely, you know, viral.
So I think what we're going to see
more of - a whole new category of
kind of social apps that are
based on human connection.