Hi Boomer, this is how you use TikTok

In one of my last articles, a user kindly asked me to post about TikTok.

And since I’m not in the comments for my TikTok posts had I will not be asked twice. So here are instructions for TikTok – and understand the terms of use of the app. They have it all.

Download TikTok

Dear Gen-Zer, please continue with “The TikTok Algorithm”, you probably already know this. Dear Boomer, you can stay.

Hope you know how to download app from app or google store. If not, don’t be ashamed! I have to explain it to my mother over and over. You simply click the store button, type “TikTok” under “Search” and enter your password. And poof, you have the malicious app on your phone.

Create a TikTok account

Creating an account is also easy. So you can either register with Facebook, Google, Apple, Twitter, your email address or your mobile phone number. That is relatively self-evident. Once you have a username, you can get started.

The different «Pages» on TikTok

TikTok works with different «Pages». You can reach these pages via the buttons on the bar at the bottom of the app. There is “Home”, “Friends”, “+”, “Inbox” and “Profile”. On the “Home” page – also called “For You Page” or FYP – you can see the videos of other users. On “Friends” only the videos of your friends.

You can upload your own videos on the «+». The inbox contains messages from your friends or likes from your followers. The videos you post will then appear on your profile. There you will also find all the videos you have liked or saved.

The TikTok algorithm

Like many other apps, TikTok works with an algorithm. This means that the app keeps learning which videos you like to watch and then shows you more and more of those videos. However, this algorithm must first be trained. In the beginning you mainly see dance videos or something like that.

Male users have a harder time with algorithm training. Many complain that it was almost impossible for them to get the half-naked dancing women and the football videos off their page. This is because algorithms get information about people and then run it further. However, this information is entered manually, which causes many algorithms to have sexist or racist tendencies.

If you don’t want certain topics on your TikTok page, you can indicate this. So you click on “Share” and then on the icon with the broken heart that says “Not interested”.

TikTok Terms of Service

TikTok is repeatedly criticized for its data collection. The app collects a large amount of personal data. You agree to this when you register on TikTok and accept the terms of use. These include, among others:

If you want to limit TikTok’s data collection, you can do so under the settings. There you can deny the app access to contacts, location and photos.

Guidelines for the TikTok Community

TikTok has strict guidelines. Topics like sex, mental illness or suicide are not popular in the app. Additionally, the Community Guidelines state:

However, users have found a way to handle certain things anyway. So they use words like “Seggs” or “Bl00d”. Some are also more creative. Eating disorder videos are often referred to as “ED Sheeran Awareness.” This is because ED is an abbreviation for the English term “eating disorder”.