Since its birth just two years ago, TikTok has been the source of hundreds of dance challenges, memes, trends and has created a hoard of teen influencers - with some earning thousands of pounds per video.
If you're not down with the kids, TikTok is a social media platform that's been downloaded over 1.2 billion times, according to Forbes: "mostly by teens seeking snippets of entertainment or looking to share their own rapping, dancing, or magic skills with the world."
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Who uses TikTok?
If you haven't heard of TikTok it's probably because you're an adult. TikTok is mainly used by teenagers, although having to be 13 to sign up, there's reportedly quite a few younger users using the platform too. Rolling Stones Writer Brittany Spanos said: "TikTok is the first buzzy app to make me feel really, truly old, which sucks... [But] I realized that the most I've actively laughed thanks to the internet in a long, long time, has been thanks to TikTok."
She isn't lying. After spending thirty seconds trawling the most popular videos, I had started to begin questioning everything I thought I knew about reality and have now decided that I don't want to bring children into this world.
How do influencers make money on TikTok?
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You might be upset to find that a number of people a lot younger than you are making thousands of pounds just from lip syncing to a music track for 15 seconds. Unlike YouTube, TikTok stars don't get paid per view, but instead rely on sponsored videos and 'gifts'.
Javi Luna, a Spanish actor and TikTok creator said: "On YouTube, you get money from the views you get, but on TikTok you don't get money from views right now.
"When you get a lot of followers or views, brands send you emails that they want to work with you."
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Some entrepreneurs have capitalised on this by creating TikTok talent agencies. Josh Shephard owns one called Influentially and represents 15 stars. They've run 35 campaigns in the last seven months, paying £1,500 ($1,937) to send TikTok stars to events such as Formula E races.
Another way influencers earn money is through virtual gifts which can cost up to £48.99. They're sent by fans as a way of showing appreciation to what they do.
Why would anyone give money to Tik Tok stars?
According to Shimmur's international survey about Gen-Z audience's social media habits, about 32% of them were willing to pay over $50 to get noticed by their favorite star on an app and about 34% of them try to get noticed by a social media celebrity every day. This has led to empty bank accounts and fuming parents.
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So there you go, if you want to watch more videos of guys like this, get yourself to TikTok. He's taking girlfriend applications apparently.
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