TikTok, a Chinese platform that offers junk to the West

Tik Tok is the western version of douyinboth are the product of the Chinese tech giant, ByteDance, but they are not exactly the same. In the case of the Chinese version, the content is more educational. and its users have a more inclusive age group, however, the government of that country exercises more control over what circulates.

In China there are also short video platforms such as Kuaishou, WeChat Channels and Xigua, but the main one is Douyin, which reached 639 million users in 2021. Most influencers turn to it (in China they are called wanghong).

One difference that it has with TikTok is that Doujin covers more diverse ages and includes children as well as adults in their 40s. According to data from Chinese agencies, more than 89% of Douyin users are under the age of 40 and more than 49% are under the age of 30. 68% of all Chinese social media users have a Douyin account and use it regularly Many of them access it several times a day.

Both can be used as long as you want but In the Chinese version, notifications appear that warn the user to disconnect. “We like to use it because we learn, but also because other people’s stories don’t convey feelings and comfort. The good thing is that you can experience different pleasures of life without leaving home,” Xijin told RFI.

Doujin: trade and ideological control

Douyin represents an ideal medium for sellingSince only three clicks are necessary to buy, TikTok, on the other hand, can advertise brands and products, but without linking to e-shop platforms.

On the other hand, in the case of Douyin, political content is blocked and removed By the platform, criticism of the system or positions in favor of the independence of Taiwan or criticism of the implemented “Covid zero” policy are not allowed.

Still, one user acknowledged RFi: “I’ve been a great user during quarantine time this year. During this period, a large amount of content reflected public anger against the zero covid policy, as the platform was unable to detect all these contents in time and remove them.”

Social networks and addiction

“I used to be addicted to TikTok because it’s a good way to kill time”, Tina, a university professor from Xuzhou, told the same outlet.

Both TikTok and Douyin, due to their content adapted to the preferences of each user, generate an increasing dependence on users. But in the Chinese version it is notified when the time in the social network was excessive.

RB/CCM