Thanks to Tiktok
By: Teresa Esparza
Is TikTok more than just social media?
Take singer-songwriter Ayzha Nyree (@itsayzhanyree) for example, who gained widespread notoriety in a short amount of time by using TikTok as a platform to share her music. She first performed her remix on June 18, 2020, in a clip posted on a friend's TikTok account. The short cover got to 1.5 million likes. On June 28, 2020, she published her own remix of Chris Brown's "No Guidance" song. By consistently posting videos of her remix Ayzha has hit 20 million views on YouTube. The speed at which she gains such popularity is amazing. She is a great example of how an unknown artist can go from musical covers on TikTok to a trending artist.
Tiktok has different users from different cultures and all over the world, poor or rich. Some users share their traditions and their way of life. Like Andre Soto (@andresoto88) who shares his daily life in the mountains of Cusco Peru. The simple life reality, a stove made of dirt and rocks. He answers his follower's questions about what kind of village he lives in and how he is able to get service and power to his small home. He shares daily activities with followers such as washing clothes by hand. He describes himself as a very humble young man; his 114,000 followers think of him this way as well. Soto videos on TikTok allow him to share his culture with his followers despite living in the middle of nowhere.
Another great thing about TikTok is how welcoming it is. Hitting 1.5 billion views is the hashtag "Deaf", it has brought awareness about the deaf community. According to the Census SIPP 2011 (Survey of income and program), around 1,000,000 people are deaf. This has shown TikTok followers why its so important to learn a bit of sign language to help interact with this 1,000,000. Users make videos about the do's and don'ts when helping a deaf person. Moreover, one would find this very helpful due to the fact it shows why it doesn't only prepare people, but it shows the know-how to. Further, the person is not being put into a stressful situation that affects their communication. A common mistake is speaking louder or screaming at the person which doesn't help at all. Thanks for the tip (@thatdeafttiktokker). Tiktok is full of many different users and a lot of amazing information. So get on and explore if you haven't.