By Karla Perez

It’s no news that TikTok has taken over. The social media giant has become the new “it” thing for all generations— everyone seems to be in it. At the end, whether one loves or dislikes the app doesn’t even matter: for anyone with internet access, escaping from the ephemeral videos of the famous platform seems simply inevitable.

In fact, Tik Tok has become so popular that even The Harbinger has decided to make one— yes, I’m not lying.

Famous official brands, artists, and even nationally-revered newspapers have already started their own Tik Tok accounts to promote themselves on the famous social media phenomenon. In other cases, some have even started their accounts just for fun. From the Daily Mail, to Chipotle, to The Washington Post, to the NBA, to the University of Florida, to Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson— they can all be found on Tik Tok. Now too, so can The Harbinger.

“[TikTok] matches this generation’s humor; we have to grow alongside the people of tomorrow. Using a media platform that’s really popular is not only going to help us get our name out there but also allow leeway for us to connect with our audience,” said Vanessa Falcon, the newly named social media manager for The Harbinger’s TikTok account.

With more than 500 million active users online, Tik Tok is a huge hit. It was even recognized as the most downloaded app in Apple’s App Store for Q1 2019. TikTok’s user population consists of about 41% of 16-to-24-year-olds, so it makes sense for a student newspaper with the same targeted demographic to jump on the bandwagon.

Despite TikTok’s history—-it was originally the app Musical.ly, which “died” in 2018—it’s still an app incredibly exalted among the social media platforms. Musical.ly was never as famous as TikTok is now.

But what differs TikTok from any other app is its “For You” page, which allows an individual to scroll through a never-ending cascade of videos. The app even reads its users’ “For You” page behavior by taking into account which videos the person likes, how long they watch them, which ‘creators’ make similar content, and such.

“So far, the video that we posted got over one hundred and fifty views in thirty minutes, so hopefully TikTok will expand our audience and become a fun part of our already tedious school days,” continued Vanessa.

What the future holds for The Harbinger’s TikTok is a mystery, but we sure hope it thrives now that it’s trendy to have an account.

In the Pink Room, we are sure having fun using the app.