TikTok, formerly known as Musical.ly, is a social media platform that has become increasingly popular since its rebranding in 2018. It hosts a myriad of content types, with the top category "Entertainment" receiving 535 billion views.

TikTok is primarily a video sharing service that uses an algorithm to create targeted ‘for you’ pages and it provides a seemingly never-ending stream of content. The minimum age requirements are 13 to have an account and 16 to host a public account (which enables direct messaging between users). However, users don’t have to be logged in to see content and to use the ‘search’ function.

TikTok has already overtaken Facebook and Facebook Messenger as the most downloaded social media app in the world. It is especially popular with children and young adults. According to Social Media Perth, 41% of TikTok users in 2020 were aged between 16 and 24 years old, and the USA-based company Backlinko states that, in 2021, 25 % of TikTok users in the U.S were aged between 10 and 19. A study conducted in October 2020 by marketing company, Roy Morgan, found that TikTok was used by 746 000 children born between 2006 and 2020.

The Cyberbullying Research Centre praises TikTok as “a fun and engaging way to stay connected with each other about the things they love". Some of the platform’s positive impacts on young people are that it:

• is de-stigmatising mental health issues
• provides communities with a platform to connect
• is a creative outlet that doesn’t require editing skills
• is user friendly and an easily accessible platform.

TikTok’s popularity continued to rise during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the platform providing an opportunity for connection and entertainment during lockdowns.