“SKSHKSHSKS, That’s the tea, and i-oop” These are probably some common phrases you’ve heard around school or maybe even said. Some of it may have made you cringe. But, where are these phrases coming from? The memes about metal straws to joking about the class of 23’. Why have they suddenly become so popular? Well, the answer is Tik Tok. 

Tik Tok is a social media app with 14 second short videos mostly focused on comedic entertainment. Many teenagers these days have developed an addiction to the app. And when I say addicted, I mean it. A plethora of students has had an average screen time on this app from ten hours a week to even 50. But what makes this app so addicting? Luckily, our fellow Cen10 students were able to give us the answer.

One student informed me that he had the app since November of 2018. “It looked fun and I saw a lot of funny videos from it.” He also mentioned how Tik Tok was like the New Vine. Many peers have been saying the same thing due to Tik Tok’s funny and relatable content. “That’s what makes it so addicting, every time I go there I know I’ll find something which will make me laugh.” 

Student Anisha Zamaan mentioned something similar. She thought the content uploaded on tik tok was quite funny as well. However, she agreed upon the fact that it was addicting but, too addicting for other people. “I don’t visit Tik Tok frequently, in fact, I don’t even own the app, but it is getting out of hand. The massive amount of hours spent on an app is not healthy.” 

Another centennial student, Matt Robinson, informed that he had the app since the beginning of the year due to his friend’s recommendations. Robinson never expected much from the app at first, “I thought it was going to be a bunch of stupid and cringy stuff made by little kids.” However, he was wrong. He enjoys the app and thinks it’s like the new vine. 

What made him think it’s so addicting was due to the shortness of the videos. Each video ranges from 10-14 seconds. Robinsons said “It’s easy to be on it for so long. Each video is so short and you keep on scrolling through and the next thing you know it’s already been 45 minutes.” 

Robinson also said how he believed that Tik Tok has been making things been better as many individuals get funny jokes from the app bringing along individuals together. 

Tik Tok is something that has become a part of teenagers’ lives. The jokes we make and how we behave have been impacted just by this simple app. The comedic content and short videos are what makes teens so addicted. However, this addiction needs to be controlled. It is also important for other teens to interact with one another. As a Tik Toker as well, I agree upon this fact. However, as big as Tik Tok has become and the fact that it is part of our daily lives, the addiction may be difficult to overcome. And that’s the tea.