TikTok has the stigma of being only for young kids doing funny dance videos, but it has truly transformed into something much bigger, “not only because the content on the platform has diversified to include something for everyone now, but most importantly because of its discovery algorithm,” says Shark Tank star Daymond John, 52, who has 129,500 followers on the platform. AARP plans to launch its own #fyp, i.e., “for you page,” in the near future. And yes, you'll find people trying to promote a cause or business. TikTok has no shortage of music, comedy and fashion, not to mention the adorable puppies and kittens you've come to expect on the internet.

Their official accounts, and those of other prominent people or organizations, are verified by a blue checked badge next to their names, similar to the way Twitter identifies verified accounts. The wide range of celebrities on the platform include 52-year-old Will Smith (59.3 million followers), 49-year-old Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (37.4 million), 52-year-old Jennifer Lopez (13.6 million) and 83-year-old Sir Anthony Hopkins (2 million). While it is not so much about meeting people as it is learning something, selling something or being entertained, you may make social connections along the way. TikTok is full of diversions that may help older folks, or people of any age, feel less bored or lonely. 'I mean, just watching teenagers dance when you're waiting in line for something to happen a very uplifting form of social media,” says Katherine Black, 52, who works in Silicon Valley and is a huge TikTok fan. Others just want to discover what the younger generation is up to. Some older adults join TikTok to bond with their kids and grandkids. Indeed, while teens and people younger than 30 make up nearly half of TikTok users in the U.S, 11 percent are 50 and older, according to recent stats from the App Ape mobile apps analytics service that were published by consumer data firm Statista. The cool thing about the app is that “it just defies all the age boundaries,” she says. Under the TikTok handle Polise has some 331,000 followers and 1.9 million “likes” from people across the age spectrum.

En español | Helen Polise used the extra time she had during the pandemic last year to learn TikTok, the wildly popular - and controversial - short-form video sharing social platform.īefore long, the 60-year-old New York-based producer of TV commercials was not only consuming TikTok videos but making her own, many to help other TikTok users master the nuts and bolts of the service.

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