As people become more connected and invested in entertainment options, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that TikTok is blowing up. Along with all the time invested into the app, how is it shaping our future?

TikTok is the world’s fastest-growing social media platform, where users can edit and share short, three to 15 second videos, in a fun online forum. The usage exceeds time spent on Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, Snapchat, along with other social media platforms, according to the website, 60 Second Marker.

West High School senior, Jimmy Opinsky, is on the rise as a TikTok influencer. As someone who spends a whopping six hours on the app every day, Opinsky sees TikTok as a positive outlet. Some might think there could be some possible concern within the classrooms due to the constant references to TikTok. Opinsky doesn’t think this to be true and even claims that it boosts friendships. “It’s fun to make TikToks with your friends…It’s a fun way to do stuff and have a good time and be creative with your friends,” he says.

Rather than making videos, West High senior, Adait Mou, prefers to be a part of the community by contributing to views. Since having TikTok, Mou does see a shift in her daily life. “I’ve been staying up a lot more when I’m on TikTok, I don’t stop… I’ve said a lot of TikTok language like ‘ksksksks’.”

Although she does claim to be staying up later than usual, Mou also believes that TikTok is not negatively impacting classrooms. “If anything I feel like TikTok is making friendships because lots of people are making friends off of TikTok.” She claims it usually works by saying, “‘Oh my gosh, you do TikTok? Me too! Let’s do a TikTok together’ and then you end up being TikTok buddies.”

One can find a variety of people, along with groups on TikTok. Mya Mcanulty and Grady Jones are two friends that use TikTok to boost their friendship. In the past when they’ve hung out, the two work together to choreograph dances to post online with groups of friends. They claim that TikTok works to bring people together in a positive way, but overall, TikTok does not take up most of their time spent together.

Both Opinsky and Mou claim that having TikTok does increase clout, which then can possibly put more spotlight on creators to become more TikTok famous. Mcanulty claims that “sometimes it depends, you get clout but it’s because you look like an idiot.” Both perspectives show that TikTok can put on an increased amount of stress on the life of users to be popularized on social media platforms.

There are clear indications that TikTok is changing our future day by day. As time goes on, we will be able to follow Opinsky and other creators on their rise to fame, as it is concluded that TikTok is here to stay, and proceed to influence our future.