TikTok Memes

The “knockoff” Vine is what many call one of the most popular social media platforms, TikTok. The app was released in 2017 to the United States and other countries. TikTok didn’t become popular until fellow short video app, Musical.ly got shut down in mid-2018 and TikTok bought the rights. Many Musical.ly users kept their dancing and lip-syncing trends going on the app TikTok but starting near the beginning of 2019 people began to create meme-like videos similar to those that were on Vine.

Since its rebranding last summer, TikTok reinvented how we produce and consume memes this past year. While some use the video app to document daily life, cool art, or raw comedy, memes and challenges are the big draw. These videos are often funny and relatable; while only one type of video on the app, it is one of the most frequently made and consumed content. TikTok’s collaborative format also ensures that once a challenge starts circulating, it will quickly evolve and have many taking their own unique spin on it.

These memes seep into everybody’s daily life from acting like a VSCO girl to reciting the “This is for Rachel” voicemail, defining what is teenage culture today. Teenagers from all across the world are able to unite and laugh over simple short videos made in someone’s bedroom.