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TikTok starts releasing the feature to only let adults watch your naughty content

Don’t get excited. By naughty, we don’t mean pornographic. Instead, it’s about TikTok content where you’re discussing adult themes, sharing adult jokes, or vaping or drinking in your video, which may influence youngsters. As a way for TikTok to allow you to still share this type of content, you’ll be able to label your videos as ‘adult only’.

In the TikTok newsro o m, the latest blog discusses how it’s putting measures in place to strengthen protection against sexually-aggressive content for youngsters. While this feature has already been in place for Live shows, it’s now coming to short videos on the platform. That means that anyone younger than 18 won’t see the adult content appear in the For You section, or anywhere else.

Even with the adult label in place, that doesn’t mean content creators can go wild on TikTok. You’ll still receive bans for nudity or anything else that goes against the platform’s policies. It just lets you create videos with discussions or jokes of a more adult nature without the youngsters learning something they shouldn’t at their age.

Yes, we know they’re still learning it elsewhere, but still. It won’t be from TikTok.

TikTok begins rolling out the ability for creators to restrict videos to adult viewers

While you can set your video as adult-themed, TikTok developers are working on a way to automatically detect any such content without your intervention. So, even if you don’t place the label, the future system will do so for you. Right now, it’s a long way from being able to pick up if the topic is sensitive, such as talking about suicide or when you lost your virginity. Until then, you’ll need to be responsible and make sure you indicate the adult content appropriately.

Look, at the end of the day, all of us parents want our children to enjoy TikTok without endangering them. There are fun dances for them to try out, and perhaps education on the platform will become a thing. All we want is to keep all the adult stuff away from them. Surely that’s not too much to ask?

TikTok recommendation algorithm is pushing harmful content onto users

TikTok’s recommendations algorithm has often been praised for its ability to start delivering content sooner than other social media platforms. TikTok attributes some of its fast growth to this algorithm and other aspects that make the app so popular. But a recent study shows that TikTok’s algorithm could be promoting harmful content, especially to younger users.

TikTok has become the fastest-growing social media platform to date. It has grown immensely in popularity in the few short years since its release. It’s grown so much that it’s already de-throned YouTube and is now going for Facebook. Part of this success is attributed to its unique recommendation algorithm, which gets users involved in the app immediately.

When first signing up, TikTok shows the user a ‘For You’ page with a few broad recommendations based on the user’s location, language, device and what’s currently popular. As users start interacting with the platform, the suggestions become more specific. However, a recent study has just shown how dangerous some of these recommendations can be.

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The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) recently researched the recommendations algorithm, and the results were disturbing. The study by the CCDH found that certain users were repeatedly served content related to eating disorders, self-harm, and other harmful topics shortly after joining the platform.

The CCDH tested their theories by creating two accounts each in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, posing as 13-year-olds. One account was just given a female name, whereas the other account was given a female name and a reference to losing weight. The study then monitored the content being served to both accounts within 30 minutes.

Part of the research methodology meant that each account reacted to content regarding body image, mental health and eating disorders by pausing on related videos or liking them. They did not take into account the videos’ intent (positive or negative), as this is very vague.

The results showed some shocking tendencies. One user was shown content that referenced suicide within three minutes of joining. Another account showed eating disorder content within eight minutes of joining TikTok. On average, these accounts were shown videos about mental health or body image every 39 seconds.

The research also showed that the more vulnerable accounts, i.e. the one with reference to losing weight in the user handle, were shown three times more harmful content than the control group. Also, these accounts were shown 12 times more self-harm and suicide-related content.

This study has raised some concerns regarding the platform’s recommendation algorithm. Many are concerned that this promotes hatred of your body and extreme suggestions of self-harm and disordered attitudes toward food. TikTok has responded by saying the study does not reflect real human behavior and that the platform is already doing what it can to make TikTok a safe environment for users.

Some of TikTok’s practices are questionable, however, could they be giving this issue too little concern?

TikTok for shopping – Amazon bringing out revolutionary new app

TikTok is incredible at keeping users’ attention for extended periods. In fact, more people are dropping conventional social media like Facebook for the improved scrolling mechanism that TikTok employs. Capitalists are taking note, and Amazon is bringing out a new Amazon Inspire app that will function with a similar format.

This move comes as a way to accelerate the voracity at which people engage in online shopping. To this end, Amazon is currently testing a TikTok-like feed for showcasing its products in the new Inspire app. The app intends to make discovering new products even easier with a scrolling photo feed instead of the conventional thumbnail-based system that most retail apps use.

The new Inspire app will be available on both iOS and Android platforms and will offer compelling video content in addition to supporting photos. This will lead to the app looking like more of a hybrid between Instagram and Tiktok, taking advantage of the features of both social media phenomena.

As you can on Instagram, you’ll be able to simply double-tap anywhere on the Inspire app interface to like particular products. You’ll also have access to a vertical scroll as on TikTok so that you can discover more content more quickly. According to productivity experts, the TikTok scroll is also more efficient on device battery usage.

Amazon is bringing out TikTok for shopping

All you need to do is download the Inspire app from our app repository, and then select topics and categories that interest you. You’ll then see a feed similar to that on Instagram and TikTok, but in way that you can interact with products you like instantly. You’ll also be able to toggle the description space and learn more about products that you think you’d like to purchase.

The experience is expected to roll out to select US shoppers in early December. We can expect a full-scale rollout to follow early in 2023. In other Amazon news, Amazon has finally updated the ineffective UI of its Amazon Prime Video streaming service.

BeReal: A more authentic trend that’s rivaling TikTok

There’s a new social media making waves as it gains in popularity and even causes TikTok to take notice. BeReal is a relatively new social media app that’s completely transforming the way social media apps are used. The app has recently gained a lot of popularity and is one of the most original social media apps to be released after TikTok. However, what is all the hype about, and will this trend last?

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at BeReal, its features, and what makes it different from other apps. Then we’ll also look at TikTok’s response to this new trend with their release of TikTok Now.

What is BeReal?

BeReal is an original photo-sharing social media app that was released in 2020. However, it’s been flying under the radar until this year, when it suddenly gained a massive spike in popularity. Since the beginning of this year, the app’s downloads have increased by 315%. It’s also currently ranked as the fourth most downloaded social media app after Instagram, Snapchat, and Pinterest.

BeReal encourages users to live in the moment and be their authentic selves. As such, the app has no filters and no editing tools. Instead, users will be asked to take a photo at a random time each day. Users won’t know what time it will be, so there’s no way to stage the photos, and at that moment, the app will take a photo with both the back and selfie camera of your phone. This means you’ll get a photo of yourself and what you’re currently doing.

Features of BeReal

It can be a little intimidating to start using BeReal, especially if you’ve become accustomed to staging your selfies for other platforms. With BeReal, there’s no time to check your hair and makeup or adjust the lighting. Instead, you’ll get raw, in-the-moment images. If you can get over the initial shock, it’s a much more authentic way to use social media and gives users a chance to really capture the moment.

BeReal sends out a notification at a random time each day to all its users. Once you receive the notification, you only have a few minutes to open the app and take a photo. When you take the photo, the app will use both the front and back cameras. When taking the photo, you’ll only be able to see one camera’s view, meaning the other will be a complete surprise.

Another feature that makes the app unique is that you’ll only have this one 2-minute period each day to take a photo. So there’s no waiting for a better time. If you miss the 2-minute period, you can still submit a photo, but all the friends on your network will be notified that you posted late. If you don’t post a photo on a particular day, you also won’t be able to see your friends’ photos for that day. This is an exciting way to get users to interact on a daily basis and actively participate.

Once you’ve posted your daily BeReal, you’ll be able to make a caption to give some context to what’s going on. You’ll also be able to view your friends’ photos, leave comments, and interact in a fun way. BeReal also has its own set of emojis called RealMojis. Instead of sending an animated smiley face, your face and expression will become the emoji. This way, you can send your friends a true and accurate reaction.

The app also stores all your photos on your profile. Here you can see a calendar view with the photo taken on that day. This is a really nice feature as it gives you an honest overview of who you are and your daily life.

One of the main benefits of BeReal is that it isn’t a procrastination app. You simply get your notification, take your picture, spend some time viewing, reacting, and commenting on your friends’ posts, and then you carry on with your day. No spending hours doing makeup, posing for the perfect shot, and then editing it to make sure it’s just right. With BeReal, it’s all about being exactly who you are and celebrating the moment.

What is TikTok Now?

In light of BeReal’s growing popularity in the last couple of months, TikTok has taken a page from the platform’s book and launched TikTok Now. This is an in-app feature available in the US and a standalone app for other regions.

TikTok Now is basically just a copy of BeReal and sends a notification Time to Now’. Once you tap on it, you’ll have three minutes to take a photo, and similarly to BeReal, it will take a shot with both front and back cameras.

Privacy related to these apps

Whenever you share photos and videos online, there is a risk to your privacy. However, both BeReal and TikTok Now have taken some measures to protect your privacy. For one, by default, you can only see your friends’ photos and only have friends see yours. Another one is that they have age limits. On both platforms, you have to be older than 18 to post on the public ‘Discover’ and ‘Explore’ feeds, and you have to enable this from within your settings. For users between 13 -15 years old, only friends are able to see or comment on your photos.

However, as we’ve seen recently with Apple’s privacy issues and many others, it’s not wise to simply trust an app to protect you. As a user, you also have to ensure you protect your privacy, such as not sharing with the public unless you’re ready to take the consequences and always being mindful of the content you share.

The real question is, how much do we value our privacy if we’re so willing to share every aspect of our lives?

Start making social media more authentic with BeReal

BeReal is making waves as it’s a new social media platform that completely flips the narrative of photo-sharing on its head. With this app, you share in the moment, unaltered and unfiltered images from your daily life with other people. This app is great for showing exactly who you are, your true authentic self.

TikTok now works on desktop thanks to an Opera update

Thanks to a recent update, TikTok now works as a side panel in your Opera desktop browser, so mindless scrolling never has to cease. Not to gloss over the shocking details about training practices at TikTok, but this feature could be a real game changer in the right situations. However, it could also cause massive distractions.

TikTok DOWNLOAD

This isn’t the first time that Opera has out-featured its competition by quite a margin. In fact, the browser already lets users use Instagram, Twitch, and WhatsApp from the built-in feature-rich sidebar. Anyone who knows anything about the way Opera does business will know that its user base and their concerns are of the utmost importance to the platform. Therefore, it’s not a surprise that the company has decided to add this TikTok functionality as Opera’s user base has been asking for such a feature for quite some time.

Opera’s product director, Joanna Czajka, elaborated on these sentiments during the announcement of the new much-awaited feature. ‘While building our browsers, we don’t stop at following what is popular among our users but also try to learn how, when, and where people interact with those trending services or social media platforms. The next step in our design process is to figure out how a browser can participate in that in a way that brings the most value to our users. People focus on what they want to do, not on which device.’

Speaking of use, TikTok has become so much more than social media, with Gen Z even using the app as a search engine. Of course, this functionality wouldn’t even have been on Opera’s radar had the short-video platform not had such remarkable success over the last few years. One of the key factors of this massive shift in TikTok’s popularity is that it enables users to share content on other social media platforms.

That way, when you’re scrolling on YouTube, for example, and every second video is proudly emblazoned with the TikTok logo, you will likely become more curious about the app. You may even decide to download it and test it for yourself. This is how TikTok proliferates; it’s a solid advertising method that clearly shows remarkable growth.

However, there are numerous concerns over having such easy access to social media on devices that are historically geared toward work. We don’t refer to the individuals whose main source of income is social media like TikTok or who use TikTok to further their professional reach and global notoriety within various fields. We’re talking about those who already find themselves too addicted to TikTok to limit their usage. TikTok addiction, while a relatively novel phenomenon, is a real concern as addiction of any kind is capable of changing individuals’ lives in increasingly negative ways.

Troy Smith, a researcher at the University of Trinidad and Tobago, completed a study on Facebook and TikTok to determine the density of users that exhibit actual and troubling addiction-like symptoms. The study, detailed in a post on PsyPost.org, proceeded as follows:

‘Facebook users completed a scientifically validated questionnaire known as the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale, which assesses six criteria: Having obsessive thoughts about Facebook, feeling the urge to use Facebook more and more, using Facebook to forget about personal problems, trying to cutting down on the use of Facebook without success, becoming restless or upset when prohibited from using Facebook, and using Facebook so much that it negatively impacts school or work. TikTok users completed a modified version of the scale, in which the word “Facebook” was replaced by “TikTok.”’

‘As expected, higher scores on the TikTok addiction scale were associated with higher intensity usage of the platform. Using a statistical technique known as latent profile analysis, which allows for individuals with similar patterns of responses to be grouped together, the researchers classified the majority of TikTok users (68.2%) as having “no risk” of TikTok addiction, classified 25.4% as being at “low risk,” and classified 6.4% as being “at-risk.”’

Even though this percentage is fairly low, it does exist. And, as TikTok increases in popularity, the number of people addicted to the platform is slated to grow.

While the inclusion of TikTok in Opera’s ecosystem of easily accessible apps is a net positive for many users, there are still those to whom this will be a potentially detrimental update. We can only hope that social media addictions and distractions are easy to detox from.

In other related TikTok news, the social media platform may be moving rapidly into gaming. Also, it has added features for adult broadcasting so only those who are old enough can view them.

TikTok is changing phone behavior and affecting attention spans

TikTok is one of the newest social media platforms, with the most rapid growth. Since its release in 2020, it has quickly risen to incredible heights and stands as a strong competitor to other social media giants like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. But along with this increase in popularity are also concerns regarding cognitive health and attention span.

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TikTok is so popular because the information it shows is so much different from other social sites. TikTok has a way of showing you who you’ve always been. YouTube and Instagram are hyper-mediated panels with screens within screens of content. You click on something, and you’re taken to a new screen to watch it. The suggestions are based on previous videos you’ve watched and an algorithm that shows you similar content.

TikTok on the other hand can be compared to a full-screen diary showing your innermost desires. Part of this is because of the attachment we have to our phones and the fact that TikTok is definitely a mobile-dominant app. During the research, the team at Wired revealed that TikTok is much more personal because of this. YouTube, Facebook, and other platforms are often enjoyed on a wide range of devices, such as laptops and even TVs.

Another reason why TikTok is so popular is its short-form video content that’s easily digestible by users. This feature is so prevalent that other platforms started adding this to their features, such as YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and many others. However, along with this, there’s also an effect on the brain that has to be considered.

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Over the past few years, we’ve seen how attention spans have declined as information channels have evolved. The shorter content being preferred is starting to have a negative effect on attention spans. Even a short time on the social media platform can have an effect on a user’s concentration. Another study conducted by the Technical University of Denmark found that the constant stream of short-form information can drastically decrease our collective attention span.

Users have even noted that they used to be able to watch videos between 20-30 minutes while giving them their full attention. However, after some time on TikTok with only short-form videos, they now struggle to watch longer videos, even if it’s on a topic that interests them. It will be interesting to note if this will change when mobile games enter the TikTok-verse.

Does that mean you should stop using TikTok? No, it does not. TikTok has many beneficial qualities that make it a great platform, such as the emphasis it places on adult content related to mental health. It’s also one of the few social media platforms that show continued growth in the post-pandemic economical environment. Where other platforms like Facebook and Instagram had to make significant cost cuts that included layoffs, TikTok is staying steady.

TikTok Blocked? Here are 5 Worthy Alternatives

While TikTok is nothing but harmless fun for millions of users around the world, for major governments, the short-video sharing app is a political thorn. Because the app is owned by a Chinese company, several governments including the United States and India worry about the threat the platform poses to national security. India, in fact, has banned the app along with nearly 60 other Chinese apps citing security concerns, and the United States is threatening to do the same – especially after Apple discovered that TikTok was secretly accessing users’ clipboards. While TikTok claims that was a simple glitch and insists that the app isn’t used for spying or any other nefarious purposes, the app’s future may be threatened.

Most likely, though, if you’re a TikTok user, you’re not all that interested in geopolitical maneuvers. What you’re interested in is using a fun, easy app to shoot short video clips that make people smile. Fortunately, no matter what happens with TikTok, there are plenty of other apps that can deliver the same good time without the controversy. Here are five of our favorite TikTok alternatives.

Byte

Of course, if you’re a fan of short-form videos, you are familiar with Vine – the app that pretty much kicked off the genre when it was released in 2012. It was shortly bought by Twitter, who closed it down in late 2016. Now, one of Vine’s founders has released Byte, to bring back a super-short video platform to the masses.

While TikTok allows you to shoot 15-second videos, Byte goes back to Vine’s micro format with a cap of 8-seconds. Beyond that, the two apps are fairly similar, except that Byte doesn’t quite yet have all of TikTok’s excellent video-editing tools. As a newly released app though, Byte is constantly improving. It has already announced new features including “byte beats” (unique to the iOS version): mini audio tracks that are automatically adjusted to users’ videos; Floaties, which are objects you can place into your camera’s view and then record; and the ability to add and manipulate text on top of videos.

Byte’s true differentiating factor is the ability to join different communities, which are basically video genres such as horror, comedy, and animation.

Android; iOS

Dubsmash

Most video-sharing apps start with the video portion of the process. You shoot a clip then you can juice it up with special effects, sounds and text. Dubsmash, a German company founded in 2014, takes the opposite approach. It contains a huge library of music clips and quotes from movies and elsewhere. So you basically start with an audio clip and then add your video, which usually consists of you lip syncing to the track. Filters and emojis help dress up your clips, and a newsfeed lets you see what’s trending and what your friends have posted.

Android; iOS

Triller

Like Dubsmash, Triller provides a treasure trove of songs to help inspire your video creations. And like TikTok, the platform allows you to record 15-second-long video clips. Where Triller sets itself apart is that it offers super-simple video editing at the push of a button.

Creating impressive videos is as simple as choosing a song, selecting which portion of it you’d like to use, choosing a series of video clips, and letting the software do the rest. It will stitch everything together for you into a professional-looking video that will make it seem like you truly know your way around more sophisticated video-editing software. Videos are represented by a color bar at the bottom and swapping out or reordering clips is as easy as swiping and dragging.

Triller also stands out because of its very impressive collection of songs and videos. Because the app has partnered with major music-production companies and other apps like Spotify, your choice of tracks is nearly limitless. Triller also features more than 100 filters that let you play with the look of your clips to an impressive degree.

Triller clips can be shared through the Triller platform, or they can be shared on other social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, which has made it a tool used by a significant number of celebrities including Kevin Hart, Chance the Rapper and Rita Ora.

Android; iOS

Instagram

While Instagram is commonly thought of as a photo-sharing platform, the fact is that there are thousands of users sharing videos there as well. While it doesn’t really have the robust video editing tools of some of the other apps on this list, because of the popularity of the platform (can you say over 500 million daily active users?) it’s well worth considering as a video-sharing tool.

Instagram also doesn’t feature the limited-time function of many other video-sharing apps, so if you’re looking to create longer-form videos, this is your app. You can upload clips under 60 seconds as “short videos” but longer vids can be uploaded to IGTV to share with your followers. And, because Instagram is free from lots of gimmicks like animal-head overlays and stickers, it’s an excellent place to share videos with more serious or engaging content.

Android; iOS

Likee

Likee, (which used to be known as “LIKE” before a rebranding) is the rocky road ice cream of video apps – which is to say, it’s got a lot of stuff crammed into it. In addition to crazy filters that do everything from adding fireworks to a video to causing you to dematerialize in a bolt of lighting, the app also has a Tinder-like feature of letting you search for nearby video creators and sort them by gender.

The app also offers a pretty impressive face-swap option that lets you step into the role of your favorite actor with a touch. There are thousands of stickers and filters to choose from; “Makeup and Micro Surgery” functions that let you fine-tune your videos or bedazzle the people in them; a “Hair Color” feature that lets you try out any color you’d like on your ‘do; plus a function known as “Supreme” that turns your photos into movies with a tap.

On top of this, the app allows for more serious content by showcasing instructional videos in addition to lip syncing and other entertainment-style videos. While the app might be overwhelming for some, if you’re already familiar with video creation apps and want to take your abilities to the next level, Likee should get the job done.

Android; iOS