It’s hard to tell when TikTok transitioned from being an app we downloaded as a joke to an app that has completely overtaken our culture. Regardless of the exact time it happened, it has already left its mark on our generation.

TikTok was originally a lip syncing app called Musical.ly, but it was merged into TikTok on August 2, 2018. Many current high school students remember being on Musical.ly in middle school, and obsessing over famous musers like Jacob Sartorius and Loren Gray. At the time, the app mainly consisted of lip syncing to popular songs with the addition of hand motions and editing transitions.

However, the app has shifted a lot since it’s origin. It’s impossible to classify the app as one thing, for there’s unlimited content options on it. The app is genius in the way it’s perfected its “For You Page,” which caters to each individual’s interests. It’s almost impossible to find someone with the exact same For You Page as someone else.

In addition to the technology of the For You Page, there are also different sides to TikTok. These sides were never established by the creators of the app themselves, but the users of the app began creating them to clarify to others where they belonged on the app.

The two main sides are Alternative TikTok and Straight TikTok. The alternative side is classified as the “good” side of the app. It’s where people get famous from being entertaining rather than simply being attractive. Despite its name, Straight TikTok has nothing to do with sexuality and is actually used to categorize dull and uninteresting videos on the app. Straight TikTok is known to include mostly lip-syncing, dances, and point-of-view (POVs) videos.

Some of the most popular creators can be divided into these categories. Creators such as Emmy Hartman, Claire Drake, Chase Rutherford, and countless others have taken over Alternative TikTok. They each make comedy videos or simply record themselves telling a story. Charli D’Amelio, Addison Rae, Chase Hudson, and Noah Beck hold the throne on Straight TikTok. Their dance and lip-syncing videos garner millions of views and likes. They captured the attention of extremely young fans, and they’re definitely profiting from it.

Despite there being two main sides of the app, the

re’s actually countless subsections of the app. Categories can range from Harry Potter, BTS, workout tips, gardening advice, city aesthetics, and fashion all on one person’s For You Page. The fact that there are so many categories for people to fall into shows the true beauty of the app as a whole.

TikTok has also become another way for content creators to make money. Sponsorships and brand deals have fallen into the laps of these creators, and it’s proving effective. Forbes estimates that Addison Rae takes home $5 million a year, and Charli D’Amelio earns $4 million in the same time frame. It’s also important to point out that Addison is 19 years old, and Charli is only 16. The amount of money these teenagers have made from the app is mind-boggling to some. These two have worked with major brands like Hollister and American Eagle, and Charli even created her own drink to be sold at Dunkin Donuts called “The Charli.” These two obviously have a great marketing team to have amassed such an empire in a short amount of time.

Regardless of how much success the app is having now, it makes one wonder how long it’ll last. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen an app that’s main focus is posting short clips blow up. The Vine mobile app was one of the most popular apps during its running time from 2013-2016. However, it came to its eventual downfall when the app’s formula became almost too repetitive. Creators were only allowed seven seconds of camera time per video, so it was hard to make extremely thoughtful or compelling content. Many people mourned the loss of Vine, and there are thousands of compilations titled “RIP Vine” on YouTube. After Vine “died,” many people wondered if there would ever be a Vine 2. In my opinion, TikTok is that and much more.

Although millions of people love the app, it’s faced a lot of challenges these past few months due to privacy issues. There’s been the threat of the app being removed off the American app store multiple times now, but every time it’s mentioned it finds a way to get sorted out.

Regardless of what side someone falls on or the legality issues it has faced, the app is addictive.

It’s easy to spend hours on it without realizing how much time has passed. It’s proven to be the perfect distraction from reality for many people.

I personally feel like TikTok will only go up from here. The content on the app is only improving with time, and it’s provided a safe space for a lot of people. People will always complain about technology and how much of our time it consumes, but I think TikTok has helped many people come to terms with their identity and interests in a safe environment.

Sending someone a TikTok that reminded you of them has become a love language of its own. The app has brought more people together than I could ever explain, so I hope it continues to grow at a steady pace and make positive updates in the future.