Before downloading video sharing app TikTok, I had pre-conceived notions that it might be similar to Musically or Dubsmash and I was right.

It is similar to Musically when it comes to creating short videos with users singing or dancing on their favourite numbers, but the main difference is of users.

Launched in China, TikTok users are confined to Asia, while users of Musically are in the US and Europe. Apart from music and dance, TikTok’s contents are more broad-based as it has comedy and other performing arts.

TikTok, also known as Douyin in China, allows users to create small 15-second short videos, lip-syncing their favourite songs, dancing or duet songs. It has good visual effects that make those videos interesting.

This social media app has videos in different Indian languages and you can record short videos in any language.

With 100 plus emoji stickers, beauty effects and face filters, the videos can be made in a more interesting way.

It also comes with live streaming feature through the notifications. There are a few notifications from the app like “Good Morning. Have a good day! Press here! Surprising gift waiting for you, Sweet is waiting for you in MeMe live <3, Watch magical girl’s LIVE, Come see me now! Sonam who you’re following posted a new video."

Launched in September 2016, the app has gone viral. It has racked up close to 100 million downloads and 20 million monthly active users in India.

With comedy skits, users can create comic contents without even thinking much about it. It is also a place where people can let down their guards, act silly and explore their creativity without being barraged by abusive trolls. There is a global community of creators, which a user can follow and mimic their acts and get inspired by them.

Users with 12-plus age can join TikTok but there are several videos starring people who appeared to be much younger. Comedian Amy Schumer and YouTuber Jake Paul too have made TikTok videos.

Despite one of the fastest-growing apps, there were a lot of controversies surround TikTok’s adult content, which according to families should not be viewed or can be termed as unlawful. A lot of parents allegedly complained that viewing these contents can be harmful to the teenagers.

Also, videos include swearing and sexual lyrics, so it may not be age-appropriate for kids to use on their own. It's also easy to find people wearing revealing clothes and dancing suggestively, although, TikTok won't let you search for objectionable content such as "sex" or "porn."

First Published:Dec 14, 2018 3:50 PM IST