Why TikTok is the best social media platform to help develop your hobbies and interests

By: Merissa Alyea Binti Omar Ariff

TikTok is notably one of the fastest growing social media platforms across the globe. This application provides users an alternative way of sharing videos online by allowing them to create short interactive videos whilst using music, filters, and other features of their choice.

The outbreak of the novel Coronavirus has forced people to stay put and entertain themselves from the comfort of their own home. TikTok has been the leading platform during these uncertain times to help fill the void from being disconnected from the outside world.

TikTok is well known for the emergence of various dance challenges, making classic 80’s songs trendy again as well as allowing a number of their users to have a platform to create entertaining content of their choice for their followers. Though this side of TikTok is very enjoyable for users, there is actually a side to this platform that helps users enhance their creativity.

Due to the fact that this platform allows all forms of content to be shared freely, there are numerous users who dedicate their accounts to certain crafts or hobbies and share their knowledge freely with other users on TikTok to help them enhance their interest in these various crafts and hobbies.

#PlantTok is the hashtag used by TikTok users who are interested in either becoming ‘green thumbs’ or just simply need some extra tips and tricks to add a little more life to their houseplants. Additionally, users will also share their various collections of houseplants which help to educate other users about different rare species of houseplants that are available in the market.

TikTok user @nicolelarson uses her platform to help plant moms and dads worldwide who are struggling to keep their house plants alive by sharing insightful tips to care for various houseplants with her viral one minute plant care videos. Her content includes how to re-pot and care for specific species of houseplants, where to get the best deals for them and how to arrange them decoratively in houses. Moreover, @nicolelarson also encourages her followers to design and create their own pots for their plants by showing them how to turn typical household items such as plastic water bottles and egg crates into a new home for houseplants.

On the other hand, #CookingTok is the hashtag used by TikTok users who are interested in learning new recipes to try out at home. Undoubtedly, being forced to stay at home has turned most people into professional chefs and TikTok is the platform to thank for that. #CookingTok is where users turn to learn the tips and tricks of preparing all sorts of new dishes from flaming hot cheetos mozzarella sticks to baked feta pasta.

What is intriguing about #CookingTok is that users like to add their own touches to these recipes that go viral. The recipe for baked feta pasta was one of the most recent recipes on #CookingTok that went viral, with numerous users worldwide sharing how they make this cheesy pasta recipe whilst adding their own touch. TikTok user @thehungerdiaries added her own out of the ordinary touch to this recipe by replacing the commonly used tomatoes with strawberries. Her video went viral and managed to convince thousands of users to try out baking pasta, feta cheese and strawberries together.

Undoubtedly, TikTok has given users the freedom to share just about anything they may be interested in freely across the Internet. However, what remains to be significant about this ever growing social media platform is the power it has to convince users to try new things and get creative without really having to leave the comfort of their own home.