It Isn’t Just Another App: Why I Need TikTok To Stay
Like many other Americans, I joined TikTok in 2020 as a way to cope with the isolation I experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. At first, I only made an account because my girlfriend would send dozens of daily texts with video links.
Over the months, I started making my own humorous videos (and several adorable ones). I didn’t have a massive following, nor did I care—it was all for fun.
In October 2022, though, everything changed. The girlfriend I mentioned above, who I had proposed to just three weeks prior, died suddenly and unexpectedly.
When I got home from the hospital after the worst 36 hours of my life, I melted into the couch and ignored the world for two entire days. Then, I emerged from the darkness with my first acknowledgment of what I’d lost, and I posted it to TikTok.
I didn’t expect anyone to watch it outside a few of my friends. And yet, within just a few days, the video had over 100,000 views along with hundreds of comments.
Never in my life had I experienced such an outpouring of love from total strangers. And, over two years later, that love has not left.
The Difference With TikTok
I’m nearly 40, so I’ve been using the internet for over 25 years. I remember everything that preceded social media, like Neopets and LiveJournal. I also remember every single aspect of my MySpace profile, from the background and music to my constantly evolving “Top 8.” I joined Facebook back in the day when you needed a college email address to create an account… you get the idea.
But here’s the thing: most social media platforms before TikTok revolved around connections you know. But TikTok? It doesn’t matter who you are friends with because your FYP will issue content using completely different methods.
The app feeds you new videos based on how you’ve interacted with what it’s previously shown you. So, instead of me being stuck with content generated by my friends or based on my geographic location, I am getting to see videos from creators who share my interests and life experiences. In other words, TikTok connects people who, without the app, would have never met.
GriefTok: My Emotional Lifeline
That video I mentioned above? It became the first of dozens of posts I made to either memorialize Emily or process the immense grief losing her caused. Some of the videos were sad, while others were saturated in dark humor. However, the content itself didn’t even matter because they all provided me with a much-needed emotional lifeline.
Thanks to TikTok, I connected with other widows who lost their spouses entirely too soon. I received comments, messages, and emails from people who had experienced similar forms of pain, saying they found my content relatable and helpful as they tried to work through their emotions and couldn’t find ways to express them. And, of course, I received love and support from thousands of people, some becoming such avid supporters that they’d reach out if I hadn’t posted in a while or seemed to be struggling.
Yes, I had friends and other forms of support here at home, but even my best friends had a hard time fully understanding exactly how I felt. But with TikTok? I could talk to people who had been there or were there currently, feeling the exact same things I was. It was like a little tribe—a tribe that spanned the globe.
We Need to Stay Human and Stay Connected
I hate the way our country has become so divided and cruel. We’ve all forgotten what it means to be human, connect with others, and show unconditional love. But with TikTok, many people do that.
TikTok lets us see the world through another’s eyes. It exposes us to people who may or may not look or think like us. It’s an app that lets us all watch the entire world from our homes. It keeps us connected. It makes us more human.
The world needs TikTok, and I do too. I wouldn’t be alive today without it… but I can’t say the same for any other social media platform or mobile app.