![Standing in the hallways, sophomore Kyle Norman makes a Tik Tok video for his fans. Over the month of September, Norman gained over 2,000 fans on the app. “Sometimes, I feel like people don’t understand what I do or why I do [it] because I get weird looks when I make Tik Toks,” Norman said. “Nobody really thinks that it’s possible for just a normal guy like me to be so popular without showing it off to everybody.”](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/KyleNormannp-1-e1570122828583.jpg)
Standing in the hallways, sophomore Kyle Norman makes a Tik Tok video for his fans. Over the month of September, Norman gained over 2,000 fans on the app. “Sometimes, I feel like people don’t understand what I do or why I do [it] because I get weird looks when I make Tik Toks,” Norman said. “Nobody really thinks that it’s possible for just a normal guy like me to be so popular without showing it off to everybody.”
9. Fame, fortune and 15 second videos? Students share the experience of being “Tik Tok famous”
In the past, apps like Vine and Musical.ly have been the solution to boredom around your house. They were used as replacements for Netflix or listening to music late at night, but now, Tik Tok is the way to avoid what actually needs to get done.
With almost 7,000 followers and an average of 200 views per video, sophomore Kyle Norman is considered ‘Tik Tok famous.’ Despite his averages, he has reached as many as 730,000 views and 128,000 likes on one video.
“It’s really cool to see Kyle get a lot of followers on the app and get noticed for what he does,” sophomore Gavin Stolz said. “Some of his videos, like the ones about our school, are really relatable, which makes it more entertaining.”
When Norman makes his videos, they are for more than just his friends and students in his school. Norman’s videos reach across the country and the world.
“Honestly, it feels weird to know that I have such a strong following from across the country and some parts of the globe,” Norman said. “Nothing in my life has changed, but every once in a while someone will come up to me and say they saw me on the ‘For You’ page, or I’ll get a DM from someone saying how much they enjoy my videos.”
What I try to do is make people laugh and have them share it with their friends [to] make their friends laugh.
— Kyle Norman
Users of the app, like senior Grace Kroner, have developed relationships with people from around the world by using Tik Tok. After publishing a video from her junior prom, Kroner’s phone lit up with notifications from the app.
“I’ve actually met a lot of people through the app,” Kroner said. “I’ve had people DM me. Sometimes people with way more followers than me have even texted me and said stuff like, ‘your videos are so funny.’ It was really cool because growing up, I always wanted to be a famous YouTuber and be recognized as a famous person, and now, that dream has started to become somewhat of a reality,”
Being famous is not all about making content to please viewers. Sometimes, the community can antagonize the creators on the platform.
“I’ve received some hate on my videos, and I do my best to not let it affect me,” Kroner said. “A lot of times I wonder why people do it. I don’t understand what the point of it is.”
Although some users receive backlash on their videos, it is not the only thing that could get in the way of making videos and producing content.
“My family thinks that me spending so much time on the app is a waste, and I think that they don’t really understand what I’m doing,” Norman said. “A lot of times, my dad will tell me to stop making videos and do my homework or study. What he doesn’t understand is that I do this because it makes me happy. I really enjoy making funny Tik Toks because it makes me laugh.”
Even if the app makes Norman content, making videos for himself is not the only reason he does it.
“We all have bad days from time to time and for some people, every day is a bad day,” Norman said. “What I try to do is make people laugh and have them share it with their friends [to] make their friends laugh.”
For creators to produce new content, some imitate what others do and add their own twist. Others, like Norman, try to make original content.
“I often will hear a good song or audio and listen to it until I have a funny idea,” Norman said. “Sometimes, I keep audios saved for weeks until I come up with an idea for them.”
Tik Tok has many purposes in the app. Whether one wants to laugh or wants to make others laugh, the app has a feature to do it.
“It’s a good way to fix your day. No matter how you’re feeling, Tik Tok can help you,” Kroner said.