The social media app TikTok is largely influencing kids and teenagers, especially high school students. Trends on the app go in and out very frequently and it seems to affect the youth in various ways regarding fashion, dances, and especially challenges. However, how can those challenges influence that age range regarding high school students, specifically speaking on Westside students.

Westside students seem to perfectly fit the age range spectrum for TikTok and many students have the app and participate in challenges openly. Many students also mention how they use the app frequently and admitting some challenges they do witness are very influential among their peers. One example of a TikTok trend that was very popular amongst high school students was the “Devious Lick Challenge” which consisted of students vandalizing and stealing school property for fun. Students were stealing things from things as simple as a pencil sharpener to a Smartboard projector. Some Westside students agree on the fact that the reason why the challenge became very successful and grabbed attention from a lot of their peers was from the use of the videos being under a popular “sound” and the fact that TikTok easily trends videos and doesn’t really have a set algorithm. This explains why TikTok is so popular because anybody’s video can go viral.

That information alone already sets a big basis on how the app influences high school students, but another question also stems from this topic, how are students dealing with the TikTok trends and it’s influences? Many students agree that TikTok trends definitely affect and impacts students because of it’s popularity and commonality. TikTok has become a new basis of a lot of things for the young audience in a lot of ways. Another perfect example is its fashion influence. TikTok has invited a lot of new tastes in fashion, especially toward the younger audience this past year. The app promoted the use of “baggy clothing” and very diverse uses of fashion that is used amongst a lot of Westside students as well.

These influences also say a lot about how the young audience that use the app are very prone to participating in influences and trends. Hence why TikTok has spoken about constantly filtering out potential negative videos and sounds on the app that can cause a negative influence. The app acknowledges its users mostly being young people so many precautions are taking place as we speak. TikTok has also taken down the “Devious Lick Challenge” and many other challenges for its negative influences and its quick influences on students across the country.