Last week, I reached out to Helena Stephen to discuss the ongoing television packages offered to TikTok influencers. Netflix and Adobe are still ramping up those programs which further legitimizes what it means to be an influencer. This made me want to continue the conversation and see what new trends are creating issues for younger audiences, what technologies could help streamline the processes, and what advise can be given to new viral sensations. I reached out to Vanessa Jimenez, a Dallas-Fort Worth TikTok influencer under the name VanTravels, to discuss the situation behind this app.
A 30-year-old Texas mother impersonated her 13-year-old daughter and snuck into her middle school to demonstrate the importance of school security. This was documented through TikTok, which has amassed millions of views. What TikTok trend do you think has been the most toxic and is it any worse than what we’ve seen in past social media trends?
There have been a lot of pranks that I have seen people do that I don’t agree with. I believe you should entertain but not at anyone’s expense. I think a lot of times people do things to get attention and views but it shouldn’t be something that could potentially harm anyone. I don’t like the pranks where couples pretend to cheat on each other. I think this is a very toxic thing to do within your relationship. It blurs the line of what’s reality and what is for views. It might seem entertaining to get a crazy reaction out of someone but I think it can really hurt the person who is being pranked and I do not agree with that. There have obviously been dangerous challenges where kids try to fly or do other really dangerous things. I also don’t like the trend where people would put a bucket over a random person’s head at a Home Depot and pretend it wasn’t them. These types of pranks are not funny to me.
Around the end of 2015, Vine had 200 million active users. This highly valued membership base didn’t stop Twitter from disabling uploads around 9 months later. Do you think TikTok has a brighter future compared to Vine and is there anything unique about the platform that makes it more successful?
I honestly never used Vine but I know it only allowed users to make 7 second videos. I think that the reason it failed was because Twitter and other platforms were allowing for longer videos that were more entertaining. Videos as short as 6 or 7 videos are really short and don’t allow for you to tell a story. I think TikTok has allowed regular people to be able to tell a story and share interesting content that gets out to more people. You no longer have to be a celebrity, a model, or an athlete to make a statement online. Tiktok has allowed for more people to be able to be their authentic selves and have an audience.
Twitter is launching a paid model in Canada, which would give options like undoing a tweet or easily reading a long thread. These added features would cost $3.50 monthly and will roll out to additional markets throughout the year. Would there be any interesting features that would be willing to pay for on TikTok?
I would love to be able to edit a TikTok after it has been posted. I don’t like that it doesn’t even allow you to change the caption or anything. But this isn’t something I would pay for. I think they would have to come up with much better perks for me to want to pay anything.
36% of younger millennials have stated that they want to go viral. YouGov Profiles Data has also shown that 75% of younger millennials are the most likely to use social media to keep up with people and share news with friends. Is there any advice you would give to someone young who might be receiving a shocking amount of attention all at once due to a video going viral?
Yes, do not read the comments. The more attention or views your video has, the more people think they can say whatever they want about you or the video itself. It is important to remember that other people’s opinions of you do not define who you are. I usually post and log off. People will always have something to say and it is best to avoid any negativity. Remember that there are people out there who love your content and you shouldn’t focus on the negative. Negative comments are always going to come with going viral.
