For those who have been around since the inception of social media, and mostly Facebook, they would have a story to tell. They would tell you how it, first, was a platform with mature and constructive engagement.  

Although there were no restrictive terms of use, its users at a time demonstrated a high level of self-regulation and decency. However, that era was short-lived at the inception and introduction of the Facebook Mobile application for Android phones in 2010. 

This transition not only made social media vastly available to lenient restrictions, but also unveiled its evil and ugly side. Its users not only witnessed the weight of its unexpected misuse and abuse, but got even more than what they could have ever asked for. Fast-forward, 2017 came on the stage. It went as far as becoming the most-downloaded application in the United States in October 2018. In China – a country where it was initially released as Douyin in 2018, TikTok was marketed as a versatile platform, promoting educational and professional content, alongside entertainment. 

This focus and trend are what eventually influenced the broader TikTok trend in Asia. However, in Africa and Namibia in particular, TikTok gained popularity mainly as an entertainment application, with influencers and users focusing on dance, comedy and viral trends that are easy to consume.

Although there is a stark difference in the use of TikTok between Africa and countries in other continents, its reasons are credible. These reasons are highly influenced by factors such as cultural norms and preferences, audience demographics, as well as economic and infrastructure differences. 

In countries like China, there is a cultural emphasis on education, self-improvement and innovation. This drives the creation of content that is informative, skill-based, or showcases new ideas. In Africa, on the other hand, humour and entertainment are highly valued as ways to connect and cope with daily challenges. Hence, African users are naturally inclined to create light-hearted and funny content that exhibits local cultures, humorous and trends.

Regardless of the contrasting factors, it is amazing how the trends are changing. Although there is still a great deal of African content on humour and entertainment, recent years have seen a great number of Africans gravitating towards using the platform for educational content. There are currently many content creators whose focus is on reviving the African spirit, as well as true African history and its struggles. 

There has been a great shift from just entertainment, flashy lifestyles and degenerative content to more informative and empowering content that at times may even help address the social vices that may be eroding the fabric of African societies. In other words, in Africa, TikTok has become a powerful tool that can positively transform societies. 

This has eventually transformed the image of TikTok from its connotation as a time-wasting and good-for-nothing platform to those with a greater vision for Africa. It has become more appealing to content-creators who may have preferred other social media platforms as an opportunity to reach out to a greater audience.

Of course, there are still thousands, if not millions, of contents that promote a self-destructive, hedonistic and degenerative culture. These people may not even be real content-creators, but misguided Pornhub and OnlyFans creators who accidentally landed on TikTok. However, as time goes on, the culture may eventually be self-correcting as the much-needed and progressive content will eventually become prominent. 

Therefore, it would not be wrong to pre-empt TikTok as a great force to be reckoned with. For that reason, it is time for all and in all spheres of life to ride the wave or be crushed when that day comes.

*Uncommon Sense is published bi-weekly in the New Era newspaper with contributions from Karlos Naimwhaka. YouTube channel: Karlos Lokos

– karlsimbumusic@gmail.com