TikTok is ubiquitous these days, with its effect extending
beyond the realms of digital spaces. It has reshaped video sharing, with
diverse users creating content, unlike the traditional approach limited to
media producers. In
This pattern is not only limited to religious and holy places
but also to other public places such as restaurants, tourist destinations,
cinema halls, academic premises and so on. These spaces have become an ideal
place for self-publishing consumers to produce user-generated media based on a
wide range of content.
TikTok
(DouYin in Chinese) is one of the most successful Chinese social media
applications used globally. Initially, Musical.ly was founded by Zhang Yiming
back in September 2016. Soon, Beijing Bytedance Technology acquired the
application in November 2017 and renamed it TikTok. Since then, TikTok has seen
widespread distribution, especially attracting young users to engage, view,
create and comment on lipsynced videos. The third-largest social network, TikTok, is
predicted to have 834.3 million monthly users worldwide in 2023. The
audience size in
The
use of TikTok is extended by its users’ creativity, which can be both positive
and negative. According to the Tiktok community
guidelines, its mission is to unlock human imagination, enabling
creative expression and providing entertainment and enrichment by welcoming
people worldwide as they discover diverse ideas, creators and products and
connect with others in the community. Notably, TikTok’s use has expanded beyond
the stated intention by its creators.
Nowadays,
it is common for individuals across all age groups to obsess over TikTok. The
theory of gratification can explain this obsession; it suggests that certain
media can gratify a person’s need, and the person will continue using it for
gratification. Consequently, the motivation to use Tiktok could be to expand
one’s social network, express oneself creatively, feel competent, and seek fame
or power. In the technocratic world, other factors could be to avoid the
psychological state of fear of missing out (FOMO) so that the users don’t feel
excluded by missing the current trends. However, the scope of understanding the
use of TikTok might be beyond this theory and have undesirable results.
Socio-psychological studies conducted in this field suggest that people’s
motivation for involvement in such user-generated media is to peek into other
people’s lives and take pleasure in accessing private details. Notably, TikTok
represents a global phenomenon characterised by a failure to protect user data
and ensure privacy, leading to lawsuits in several countries.
Currently,
TikTok is confronting the challenge of handling hate speech, inappropriate
content, threats, harassment, cyberbullying, misinformation, plagiarism and
conspiracies. Further, users misuse TikTok to threaten others over a minor
inconvenience overtly. Similarly, people with little journalistic credibility
go around poking others’ personal issues and expose them for “justice”. Worse,
viewers perceive it as a mere source of amusement rather than questioning the
morality of such content and the ethics behind such behaviour.
To
gain viewers and want to become “viral,” people do anything and everything.
From filming people without their consent and prioritising capturing a serious
incident instead of extending a helping hand (the recent Manipur violence
case), TikTok users have blurred the line between humanity and content-seeking
obsession. Other disturbing trends found in TikTok are videos of people
quarrelling, intentionally harming animals to match them with song lyrics,
objectification and sexualisation of young children by forcing them to dress,
dance or act in a certain way, filming the misery of terminally ill patients,
and so on. The question here is not about counting the so-called creative
content but rather about pondering on how much content fulfils TikTok’s
objective and its valid use—to inspire creativity, bring joy and unlock human
imagination by enabling creative expression.
TikTok’s popularity ignites anxiety and fear about its misuse
and the extent to which people can become regressive. The present discourse
displayed by TikTok represents "techno panic,”
a moral panic that centres on societal fears associated with specific
contemporary technology or activity instead of the content.
Such
moral panics point out the consequences of social media that trigger people’s
perceived vulnerability and societal fears, which seem to be getting worse and
unfiltered. However, recent research suggests that TikTok can be an informative
channel to inform about health and safety-relevant information, share official
information from the government, stir healthy political discussions, promote
tourism, online sales, educational content and appeal for charity.
Despite
its rampant creation of improper content, it is still not too late to leverage
TikTok to foster civility. First, the users need to seriously comply with the community
guidelines provided by TikTok. In case of violation, the users
must report the video for its irrelevant content and share feedback. Second,
based on the pattern of TikTok use, its operators need to be attentive and
efficient to take relevant action to remove and prevent ill-suited content. Finally,
it is up to its users themselves to comprehend the actual use of TikTok for the
well-being of society in every dimension possible.
Advertisers are seeking any assurances from TikTok, the viral app that helped
usher in a wave of short-form video across social media, as the Chinese-owned
company again faces a potential ban in the
When
TikTok’s Chief Executive Officer Shou Zi Chew testifies before Congress for the
first time on Thursday, advertisers will be closely watching his appearance for
news as well as the reaction of lawmakers, several ad agencies told Reuters.
TikTok’s
The
company faces growing calls from lawmakers who are pressuring the Biden
administration to ban the app over concerns that Americans’ user data could
fall into the hands of the Chinese government.
In
recent discussions with ad buyers, TikTok representatives have stuck to the
company’s current talking points. TikTok employees have played up ongoing plans
to separate the user data of Americans and store it in the country. The data
will be housed in a new division called U.S. Data Security (USDS), which will
be monitored by
At
least one major ad firm held a call this week with TikTok sales representatives
in an attempt to learn more detail about its data security practices. Though
TikTok provided an overview of Project Texas, it was unable to answer more
detailed questions about how it would block U.S. user data from the Chinese
government, said an executive at the ad firm, who declined to be named to
discuss a private call.
Darren
D’Altorio, vice president of social media at marketing agency Wpromote, said
TikTok sent an email on Tuesday to note that it had launched a new website for
USDS and included answers to frequently asked questions about the initiative.
In
a section of the email titled “Can the Chinese government request TikTok
A
TikTok spokesperson said the company is engaging with advertisers “in open,
fact-based, and ongoing dialogue that includes providing regular updates and
addressing questions about the ways we’re working to build a trusted
entertainment platform for users and brands.”
Even
with talk of a ban, most advertisers have not changed their spending plans on
TikTok, media buyers said, because discussions of a ban have lingered since
2020 without any result.
TikTok
CEO Chew plans to tell lawmakers on Thursday that the company has never, and
would never, share
But
it is a critical moment for TikTok, which has grown exponentially in importance
to advertisers as the app’s user numbers have surged in the two years since
then-President Donald Trump first explored a ban of the app.
The
renewed concerns over TikTok seem to have escalated quickly in the past few
weeks, catching some brands off guard, D’Altorio said.
Some
clients that are publicly-traded companies had been reluctant to buy ads on
TikTok since 2020, and their wariness has only continued. “They say ‘we don’t
want to touch this,’” he said.
Vinny
Rinaldi, Hershey Co’s (HSY.N) head of media and analytics, said on Wednesday
that the Reese’s Cup maker built a contingency plan if TikTok is shut off in
the
Hershey
spends the least on TikTok compared to other social platforms, Rinaldi said,
but it’s an “area of growth (that is) working well.” His bet is that TikTok
users switch to YouTube if the platform shuts down.
The
current situation also makes some smaller brands with a niche audience hesitant
to experiment with ads on TikTok, said Adam Telian, vice president of media services
at marketing agency New Engen, which has worked with The Home Depot and Google
Fiber.
“People
are hesitant to make that commitment and investment at a time when they’re not
sure TikTok will still be around,” he said.
While
tension brews in
Advertisers
that are using TikTok and seeing strong performance from their ads are recommended
to stay the course, said Erik Huberman, CEO of Hawke Media, a marketing
consultancy that has worked with Red Bull and Alibaba.
Brands
that have customers on TikTok will find it difficult to step away until real
action happens in
“A
ban isn’t a ban until it’s a ban,” he said.
TikTok
has come under increasing scrutiny due to fears that user data from the app
owned by Beijing-based company ByteDance could end up in the hands of the
Chinese government, undermining Western security interests.
When
asked about a potential ban on TikTok, security minister Tom Tugendhat said
earlier in the week that understanding the challenges posed by these apps was
“incredibly important.” TikTok has said it would be disappointed by such a ban.
The
government is expected to make a statement on the security of its devices later
on Thursday.
At a time of fast-changing nature of crimes with the advent of
new technologies, some unscrupulous elements have found yet another modus
operandi for gambling.
According
to police, a group of people is involved in gambling with the help of Chinese
app TikTok (owned by tech giant ByteDance) and they run gambling dens live on
the app.
Police
officials say although they have arrested some people involved in such illegal
activities, they are finding it difficult to trace the gamblers as most of them
use fake IDs and phone numbers. As access to new phone numbers has become
easier, such users keep changing their numbers or dump certain numbers after
using them for illegal activities, police said. Lack of clear laws to tackle
cyber crimes is yet another challenge.
Between
January 10 and January 17, the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office,
Minbhawan nabbed four people from different places who were involved in
organising gambling via TikTok live. Police said they were doing transactions
of over Rs5 million using digital wallets.
Three
of the gamblers were arrested on January 10 and one more on January 17.
Rishi
Prakash Yogi, 21, who ran playing cards games on TikTok with the nickname Pugg
and Pubg2, was arrested from Gwarko in Lalitpur. Police records show that Yogi
made transactions of Rs2.8 million through e-Sewa mobile wallet over the past
10 days, playing the game live with different people.
Another
gambler, Kapil Giri, 27, was nabbed from Suryabinayak Municipality-10 in
Bhaktapur. He organised online gambling on TikTok under the alias Pler King.
Police records show that Giri collected Rs1 million from three different e-Sewa
accounts within 10 days.
That
same day, police apprehended Prem Kathyat, 21, another online gambling
organiser on TikTok, from Madhyapur Thimi-1 in Bhaktapur. He conducted
transactions worth Rs93,214 through e-Sewa within six days.
Meanwhile,
on Tuesday, police apprehended Harischandra Malla, 35, from Harisiddhi,
Lalitpur. Malla, who operated under the alias Kick Cash, had transactions worth
Rs853,331 over the past 15 days via two different e-Sewa accounts.
The
gamblers were arrested with cell phones, a diary used to keep record of players
and transactions, and books of cards.
According
to the Valley Police Investigation Office, the gamblers have been sent for
further investigation under Section 125 of the National Penal
(Code) Act, 2017, which prohibits gambling and betting in
“These
are among the first cases of police nabbing gamblers on TikTok, but there is no
proper cyber law to punish them,” said Superintendent of Police Krishna Prasad
Koirala, who is also the spokesperson for Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation
Office.
According
to police, after it released the names of the gamblers, they have received a
flood of phone calls on their emergency toll free number (100), complaining
about more such incidents of gamblers going live.
“It
seems that the gamblers have found TikTok live the best option, as many people
use the app in
To
go live on TikTok, the user must have 1,000 followers.
Koirala
said that police used its own surveillance techniques to nab those gamblers.
“But there are many people operating gambling networks with fake identities and
numbers and without proper identity,” he said. “We can’t close the concerned
TikTok accounts as we do not have direct access to TikTok administrators.”
TikTok
is a video-sharing social media platform where one can create, edit, share,
discover and watch short videos. After finding it challenging to monitor
activities on TikTok, some countries
have even banned the app, for instance
Experts
say that the number of TikTok users has soared in
Though
many find it a useful distraction, a few are misusing it.
“I
started using TikTok after the Covid-19 pandemic. I pass time on the platform
after I do my studies. These days, I have also noticed that some people go live
and gamble there,” said Sailesh Bastola, 21, a student at Thapathali
Engineering Campus who is a regular Tik-Tok user. “If police do not control it,
this may have serious consequences. The regular gamblers who would run the
racket from their apartments now got a digital platform to do so.”
In
According
to a story published
in the media platform Rest of World, a 2022 nationwide survey showed a dramatic
rise in the number of TikTok users in
According
to Start.io,
a mobile data platform, there are 2.2 million active TikTok users in
“With
access to the internet, people can participate in illegal activities, including
gambling,” said Santosh Sigdel, an internet freedom advocate and president of
Digital Rights Nepal.
He
said the law regulating the offence of gambling has not covered ‘online
gambling’ in the penal code.
“Just
like the so-called online gambling, many cyber offences are not explicitly
regulated in
Scholars and political observers have raised concerns over
public opinion manoeuvring on social media in Southeast Asia as three countries
in the region—the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia,
are gearing up for elections.
Propagandists’
strategic manoeuvring of public opinion on social media remains a dangerous
threat to democracy in
Political
actors have attempted to sway public opinion via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to
push for a political narrative to garner more supporters in the region.
Now,
TikTok, as the most downloaded
app in Southeast Asia would serve as a new strategic tool for
propagandists to push for political narrative during the electoral period.
How TikTok influences public
TikTok provides unique features
enabling propaganda to reach a greater public, as its content-sharing model is
novel compared to its predecessors, where it does not rely on the number of
followers but instead focuses on the content itself.
This
means anybody who could create “interesting-enough” content can land on the “for you page,” opening
doors of opportunities for political opportunists to push for political
narrative by creating engaging audio-visual content.
With
its recommended
system, radical propaganda could result in extremism among fanatical
followers as TikTok would push for similar content to users. This model could
create an information bubble that would feed users with certain narratives and
influence their worldview.
Rampant political propaganda
Unlike
its predecessors, TikTok is relatively new in the global-fame-game after a
sudden burst of new
downloads worldwide at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
While tech companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Google have taken
serious steps to combat the misuse of their platforms by
propagandists, TikTok does not have as rigorous policies.
TikTok
has been heavily
criticised by scholars and media for allowing extremism to be
on its platform, which led the tech company to rebut with improved policies
through their community guidelines.
Relying
mostly on in-house and AI monitoring framework and community flagging system,
as an audio-visual platform, TikTok seems to struggle to oversee content its
users produce on its platform.
TikTok
has established its latest
community guidelines to avoid individuals’ misuse of the
platform. However, political propaganda is still rampant on the platform, for
example on the ‘live’ section of the platform. The ‘live’ feature on TikTok has
been misused to spread political narrative in several countries, including the
Unlike
the uploaded audio-visual content, the live feature posed a distinctive
challenge due to its synchronous real time-streaming nature, which makes AI monitoring
less effective compared to humans in content moderation.
But,
relying on 24/7 human monitoring of live videos is unrealistic as it is
impossible and economically impractical to hire enough workforce to monitor
millions of content uploaded on TikTok daily. Therefore the next best way is to
harness community engagement by developing a community flagging system to help
identify content in violation of its policy.
What's next?
As general elections
in the
Seeing
how Russian
influencers were paid to disseminate pro-Kremlin propaganda on
TikTok, my prediction, similar trends highly likely will happen in the
Southeast Asian countries. Digital propaganda strategies for disinformation
campaigns that we have seen on other social media platforms include coordinated
use of paid influencers, cybertroopers, bots, deepfakes.
These
could be replicated on TikTok during the Southeast Asian elections considering
the platform gained popularity in the region in the past three years.
As
information disorders ahead of the election are to be expected, one of the ways
to mitigate information disorders is through media and information literacy
efforts. While fact-checkers can only do so much, citizens should also be well
equipped with the right skills to check information for themselves.
In
There is something about TikTok. The app allures you to its 15
to 30 seconds whirlpool of never-ending videos and in no time, you find yourself
swiping for an hour. From politicians to tarot card readers, conspiracy
theories to homemade pickles, the app has it all. It is content-heavy and
filled with entertainment, excitement, and surprises.
TikTok's
straightforward interface and all-knowing algorithm have been able to provide
its user with an experience like no other platform. It demands nothing from
you, yet you are lulled into watching never-ending curated videos. Or, in
today's lingo, you will find yourself 'doomscrolling'.
Apparently,
many GenZers have even started using TikTok instead of Google. Just type, 'The
best food joints in
Before
TikTok, the idea of social media was different. You could carefully choose your
friends, your followers, and your interests. TikTok has no such boundaries. It
has redefined the concept of social, exposing you to endless videos selected by
its algorithm. The more time you spend on the app, the better it knows your
taste and interests. You do not ask TikTok what to show you. It tells you what
you see. And this anticipation of 'What next?' often grips its users.
However,
the algorithm has its downside too. TikTok has been criticised for leading
users down the 'rabbit hole', especially the young population. You will often
find children on TikTok' not behaving like children, using inappropriate words,
or singing songs that are 'improper'. This should probe us to ask: How much information
should our young users be exposed to through an application? The app also makes
it very easy to fall into the loop of videos related to death, suicide,
unhealthy diets, and eating disorders and does very little to save its users
from harmful content.
This
brings us to the question of what this 'all-powerful', 'all-knowing algorithm'
of TikTok means to our privacy. Should we be alarmed?
All
platforms on the internet collect, analyse and use our data for their
profitability. The problem with TikTok is that it collects data in excessive
volume—it is important to feed its algorithm, making the app so appealing.
TikTok knows you, your family, your likes, dislikes, your emotional state, your
biometrics, and much more. Using your online profile to send targeted
advertisements is an obvious use of your private data. However, it isn't easy
to gauge what will happen to this data, how it will be used, and, more
importantly, who has access to it.
Hence,
the mistrust and suspicion from many nations concerning the app and its privacy
is justified. As the world becomes more digital, technology can be seen as one
of the main factors for diplomatic tension among nation-states. TikTok is huge,
especially among the youth, and the cultural influence it can have is deep.
The
attraction of companies, brands, organisations, and institutions towards the
app then, is obvious. There are many names on the internet today who have
become celebrities primarily through TikTok. This makes the platform extremely
attractive to young audiences who see their careers on social media.
TikTok
has become a phenomenon that cannot be ignored. It is everywhere, and if you
haven't used the application yet, you are increasingly becoming one of the
global minorities.
Concerns
have mounted globally about the potential for the Chinese government to access
users’ location and contact data through ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent
company.
The
depth of those concerns was underscored this week when the Biden administration
demanded that TikTok’s Chinese owners divest their stakes or the app could face
a US ban.
In
Parliamentary
Service Chief Executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said in an email to Reuters
that the decision was taken after advice from cybersecurity experts and
discussions within government and with other countries.
“Based
on this information, the Service has determined that the risks are not
acceptable in the current New Zealand Parliamentary environment,” he said.
Special
arrangements can be made for those who require the app to do their jobs, he
added.
ByteDance
did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Speaking
at a media briefing, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said
“Departments
and agencies follow the advice of the (Government Communications Security
Bureau) in terms of IT and cybersecurity policies ... we don’t have a blanket
across the public sector approach,” Hipkins said.
Both
A
spokesperson for the New Zealand Defence Force said in an email to Reuters the
move was a “precautionary approach to protect the safety and security” of
personnel.
On
Thursday,
TikTok
has said it believes the recent bans are based on “fundamental misconceptions”
and driven by wider geopolitics, adding that it has spent more than $1.5
billion on rigorous data security efforts and rejects spying allegations.
Responding
to a question about the TikTok bans from Britain and New Zealand, Chinese foreign
ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said during a regular news briefing on Friday
that the two countries should “stop over-extending and abusing the concept of
national security, and provide a fair and non-discriminatory environment to
companies from all countries.”
The summer of 2020 is not a particularly memorable time many of
us would want to look back at. The Covid pandemic had just gripped the whole
world, forcing us to stay locked inside our homes. Being associated with the
word ‘viral’ was frowned upon.
But
in 2020, for the then-19-year-old Shashwot Khadka, the association with the
forbidden word changed his life for the better. As the world learned to take
baby steps and tried to adjust to life amid a pandemic, Khadka was preparing to
take a big leap into the Nepali music scene.
On
July 27, 2020, Khadka uploaded a song on YouTube. The song was titled after
what had given him the initial idea for its creation– ‘Batash’ (breeze).
Two weeks into the song’s release, it had only managed a modest 8,000 views.
Right around then, a Tiktok user by the handle @shi.wali uploaded a choreography to
the song. The twenty-three seconds dance clip took off in no time, making it
the new viral trend and Khadka a national sensation.
Since
then, the song has been used in more than 165,000 TikToks. The now-22-year-old
singer also performed at the closing ceremony of Miss Universe Nepal 2021. The
same year, his hit song was also nominated for the ‘Public Choice Award’ at the
‘21st Annual Tuborg Image Awards’. The song currently sits at 52 million views
on YouTube and 6.9 million streams on Spotify.
Given
its massive active user base of over a billion users, TikTok has quickly become
the go-to promotional platform for musicians and labels. The ungovernable and
unpredictable nature of the app’s algorithm can raise an artist from obscurity
to global stardom in no time. Today, the app has become a necessary inclusion
in the growth of an artist. From mainstream to indie, and established to aspiring,
musicians from all over are trying to figure out TikTok to not get left behind.
“My
audience grew from what was almost non-existent before ‘Batash’ to such huge
numbers,” says Khadka, who has amassed 276,000 subscribers on YouTube. “A
musician is made by their audience; I got mine from TikTok.”
It
isn’t just Khadka who has experienced this phenomenon. Sajish Shrestha, better
known by his stage name ‘VZN’,
who is known and loved for his chill and upbeat music, shares a similar story.
“I
have witnessed exponential growth since my songs went viral on TikTok. Before I
joined the app, my songs barely reached a thousand views. Now, my most recent
release has already surpassed 600,000 views within a month,”
shares the 25-year-old, who brags a catalogue of TikTok hits such as ‘K hau
Timi Mero’, ‘Hik Hikki’, ‘Bhunte Ki Aama’, and many more.
However,
virality on TikTok alone does not guarantee a successful music career. While a
few artists succeed in translating their viral moments into a much more
prosperous future, many fail to do so. If and how the trajectory of an artist
changes following their virality depends entirely on themselves. A belief both
Khadka and VZN echo.
“Some
artists tend to limit themselves creatively, following their virality, in order
to cater to the liking of their audience. In the process of pleasing others,
they confine themselves to produce what has already worked, barring themselves
from exploration,” says VZN.
The
artists should define their music, not the other way around. But that is what
tends to happen when the artist is unable to deliver consistently. If they can
maintain the quality of their work, it’s a boon. If they cannot, it creates a
vicious cycle of chasing fame, adds Khadka.
“Personally,
I have not been able to give much time to my music. It does get depressing when
you watch the numbers decline, but you should not let that affect you,” adds
Khadka, who is currently pursuing a degree in food engineering from the New
Delhi-based
While
young musical aspirants flock to the app looking for opportunities to
kick-start their musical careers, veterans are also not far behind. Some
experienced singers have managed to make a place for themselves in the world of
TikTok through their classic hits, while others come looking for ignition to
rejuvenate their careers.
Subani
Moktan, a veteran singer/songwriter who has been doing independent as well as
playback singing actively for more than a decade now, is one of the most active
and recognisable musical personalities on TikTok.
Moktan,
who has been on the app for two years, says the need to reach a wider audience drew her to the app.
“Back
in 2020, I released a new
song on YouTube, and it failed to perform well. That was when I
felt like it was high time I join TikTok and promote my work,” shares the
veteran singer.
Now,
whenever she has a new release, she goes live on TikTok to spread the word.
This, she says, has undoubtedly helped her numbers grow.
“My
TikTok presence has reflected in my numbers on YouTube. These days when people
recognise me, they tell me that they’ve seen me on TikTok,” shares Moktan,
adding that this makes her hopeful as an artist. “I see people dancing to my
older songs, whose time I had deemed was over. As they say, good things will
always find their way back and achieve what they truly deserve.”
It
is a popular belief that having a social media presence in today’s day and age
is necessary for growth. Unless the artists are backed by a team of promoters
or have good connections, the journey to gain momentum becomes arduous. Hence,
having social media becomes a compulsion.
Moktan,
however, shares a different view.
“Although
having social media does help, it isn’t a necessity. I personally know many
artists who are not active on social media but are still doing very well in
terms of music and career,” says Moktan. “Having a social media presence is
just the cherry on top.”
Although
TikTok’s seemingly easy-to-achieve overnight success and instant fame may be
pleasing on the outside, it isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. All of it comes
with a price to pay.
Putting
something out in the open for others to see also means opening yourself to
criticism from all kinds of people who, in many cases, are not well-versed in
kindness.
Young
artists like Khadka and VZN say that they have often found themselves on the
receiving end of negative comments. However, it is their undeterred belief and
love for their craft that has helped them continue.
“Not
everyone is on the app to have a good time. Some are there to vent their
bottled-up anger and stress,” says VZN.
Khadka
believes that this understanding has helped him continue without letting the
harsh criticisms affect him.
Veterans
are not immune to hate, either. Moktan says that being on the app has given her
a reality check, adding that it has taught her to stay grounded and be
ever-prepared for failure and negativity.
“When
you’re on a public pedestal, you are prone to both positive and negative
comments, especially on a platform like TikTok. The disparaging comments make
me realise that no matter how sincerely and well you do your job, there will
always be people with something negative to say. I try my best to focus on the
positives and not let the negativity deter me.”
Theatre artist Ishtu Karki has been making funny videos for TikTok and
Instagram during her spare time for years. Her clips were popular and
frequently went viral, getting millions of views on social media.
Two
months ago, various brands and start-ups approached her to make videos to
promote their products. Now she is a full-time social media content creator,
and has more than half a million followers on TikTok.
“You
can make an impressive income by making promotional posts,” said Karki.
The
promotions range from a simple post on Facebook/Instagram to a dramatic video
on TikTok.
“The
nature of the promotional post depends on the budget of the clients,” said
Karki. “The price also varies depending upon how much reach and views the posts
get on social media.”
Some
brands ask her to create promotional videos to generate sales for a specific
product while others just want to spread brand awareness among the public.
Most
of her followers are 18 to 24 years of age. The companies for which she makes
videos also offer products and services to this age group, such as educational
consultancy, skin care products, and so on.
Influencer
marketing combines both traditional and modern marketing strategies. It
transforms the concept of celebrity endorsement into a content-driven marketing
campaign for the modern era.
Influencer
marketing, however, doesn't just involve famous people. Instead, it centres on
influencers, many of whom do not view themselves as being famous in the
traditional sense.
According
to Influencer
Marketing Hub, an influencer is a person who has the ability to
influence others' purchasing decisions due to their stature, expertise,
position or connections with their audience. He or she actively interacts with
a dedicated audience in a certain area. The size of the following is based on
how big the niche is for his or her issue.
Monayac
Karki, founder of Uptrendly,
a digital platform that connects influencers and brands in
“Due
to the rise of short video platforms like TikTok, anyone who can make
innovative and catchy content can be an influencer,” said Karki.
“A
film star or public figure might not have a stronghold in social media like
these influencers, therefore, they are very efficient for brand promotion in
terms of views and cost as compared to celebrity endorsers.”
The cost of influencer marketing is more affordable compared to
other countries, therefore, it has become very popular these days, said Ashwin
Neupane, creative head of digital marketing agency Digital
Gurkha, in a recent
interview with the Post.
“There
are also ample micro and nano influencers such as moto vloggers, and food
vloggers who hold great sway among their followers. Therefore, anything they
endorse goes viral in a short time among their followers,” said Neupane.
“Besides,
the companies can also easily see the views and reach of the post, which makes
it more reliable compared to the traditional form of celebrity endorsement.”
Karki
said, "The cost of an influencer marketing campaign in
Asra
Bhattarai, brand consultant of Coca-Cola
“As
per our internal study, they are very effective in increasing the recall value
of the brand among customers, but a separate research is needed to find out if
they increase the company's sales,” said Bhattarai.
“Along
with the expansion of influencer marketing, the field is getting cluttered in
As
the advertising market is becoming more competitive, brands are moving towards
unconventional methods such as influencer marketing. Customers have greater
trust in the influencer they have been following for ages than a celebrity.
Another
influencer, who wished not to be named, says influencers need to be more aware
of the product and the company they are promoting, and they should not promote
everything that comes their way for the sake of money.
Earlier
this month, several popular sitcom actors and YouTubers
were arrested for promoting prohibited products on their social
media platforms.
"In
addition to that, they also need to mention clearly that they are doing a paid
promotion so that customers will be careful before buying the product thinking
that it’s a genuine recommendation,” said the unnamed influencer.
“Products
like food items, health care products, edible vitamins and supplements have a
different effect on each individual’s body, so influencers need to be very
careful while promoting them.”
Insiders
say this kind of influencer marketing steadily reduces consumer options by
preventing them from ever considering other accessible products.
Many
shoppers consequently end up making hurried purchases. However, the majority of
people are unaware that influencer marketing is not nearly as genuine as it is
made out to be. In actuality, it's just another fancy way to market.
According
to the Advertising Association of Nepal, the advertising industry in
Out
of this amount, social media marketing done via official channels accounted for
Rs4 billion and that done through unofficial channels accounted for Rs3
billion.
“But
the trend of social media advertising via official channels is increasing in
recent days as large social media and technology companies have been registered
in Nepal,” said Som Prasad Dhital, president of the Advertising Association of
Nepal.
The digital
service tax guidelines, which came into effect in the last fiscal
year, made it mandatory for all social media companies to get registered in
Nepal and pay a 2 percent digital service tax.
Several
technology companies such as Microsoft, LinkedIn, Google and Meta—parent
company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp—have been registered in
At a bustling cafe in Bauddha, Lhakyila is well rested on the
couch when suddenly two teenage girls approach her carrying a tiny box. In
disbelief that the box was a present for her, she is taken aback at first but
proceeds to politely accept it. The girls ask for a selfie and seem over the
moon during the warm encounter. After they leave, Lhakyila returns to her seat
with a bewildered yet elated look on her face, although that occurrence, for
her, was not some anomaly.
When
an everyday Nepali teenager or young adult hops on some of the most happening
social media apps like Instagram or Tiktok, there is hardly anyone who has been
as familiar and consistent on those domains as Tenzin Lhakyila Maharjan, or
Lhakyila, as she is popularly known by. This 24-year-old social media
phenomenon is not some overnight sensation, nor is she a commercially funded
content creator, and yet a considerable 215,000 people follow her on Instagram,
141,000 on Tiktok, and 146,000 on YouTube—as of now.
“Even
when I realise there are tons of people watching the skits I post online, it’s
still baffling to me that my audience has been this invested for all these
years”, she says, scrunching her forehead, followed by a puzzled expression.
Her mannerisms are visibly awkward at times when she talks about her social
media presence; it’s evident that she is still not used to the recognition she
has garnered.
First
coming into the picture on Instagram during early 2014, Lhakyila’s social media
pages are now an accumulation of hundreds of self-taped comedy skits.
Monologues of her random but peculiar everyday experiences quickly receive
between 100,000 to over a million views, and her ten-year-old
niece’s cameos typically become the cherry on top for the
audience.
Like
most middle schoolers interested in making video content during the late
2000’s, Lhakyila was also fully immersed in the world of YouTube. “I used to
film arbitrary clips of myself and post it on YouTube just for the heck of it.
Once, I lip-synced to a scene of Gabbar Singh from the movie ‘Sholay’ to show
it to my family, which my eldest sister, Keyang Yanki, thoroughly enjoyed and
decided to share it with her college friends,” she says. “They were the ones
who initially encouraged me to make more videos.”
When
one scrolls past Lhakyila’s Instagram and TikTok feed, it immediately becomes
an engrossing multilingual affair since she typically performs her comedy
routine incorporating Tibetan, English, Nepali or Hindi. And due to such
multifaceted and immersive content, she has been able to amass a consistent
viewership for nearly a decade from not just
“I
first stumbled upon Lhakyila’s content through my cousin, who had been an
ardent fan for quite some time,” says Adarsha Rai from
Part
of the draw of Lhakyila’s social media is her sense of intelligent humour that
transcends ethnic and national identities, keeping the viewers craving for
more. Lhakyila, however, attributes this level of relatability to the kind of
similar experiences we all share within our respective communities. “I centre
the theme of my content around the kind of day-to-day occurrences that permeate
each of our lives. This is why I think my audiences resonate with what I
produce,” she says. Lhakyila also partially credits the Nepali education system
for fostering the kind of acceptance she has received through social media,
even while producing videos where she speaks in Tibetan, her first language. Having
classmates of different races and ethnicities in the same room is what she
believes has allowed people to be more open and embracing of the content
produced in a language foreign to their own.
Although,
in her early years, she would often have one community arguing how they
couldn’t understand the other’s language, and vice versa, Lhakyila has
gradually learned how to hone her craft and find a middle ground. “I initially
didn’t use subtitles back when Instagram only had the 15-second video option,
but now, with the use of subtitles and an intermix of multiple languages in a
single video, the content is generally well-received by those who follow me,”
she adds.
In
one Instagram video,
wearing an oversized shirt, Lhakyila reenacts how she practices interactions
“before guests arrive” at home; yet another skit where she inventively
integrates Tibetan, English, and Nepali within forty seconds. “We have pretty
much become side characters for her skits at this point,” says Sonam Dolkar,
Lhakyila’s elder sister. “She often comes up with her ideas out of the blue
when we are home, immediately records it and puts it on the internet.”
While
Lhakyila credits that laudable viewership to relatability alone, one could
argue that it takes more than simply “being relatable” to be able to produce
content that the audience consistently comes back for. That instinctual
charisma is something that doesn’t come naturally to people, as Tsephel Pelmo,
a Bhutanese native, puts it. “I have been following her content for a really
long time now, and the kind of effortless charm that she exudes has been so
authentic and long-standing, it’s honestly self-evident why people, even here
in Bhutan, are drawn towards her.” As the adage goes: ‘brevity is the soul of
wit’, platforms like Tiktok and Instagram mandating that kind of brevity have
enabled creators such as Lhakyila to flourish the way she has.
“It’s
generally the spontaneous ideas that pop in my head that makes for good
content,” Lhakyila says while discussing her creative process. The more we
read, hear and watch, the better primed our brain will be to produce its own
witty thoughts. With her eldest
sister mostly behind the camera, Lhakyila has steadily learned to internalise
this over the past eight years of being on the internet. And since wit is
predominantly about spontaneous creativity, it becomes apparent that she has
relied on that instinctual aptitude to take her this far. “As a content
creator, when you start feeling pressured to pump out videos and begin forcing
your humour, it immediately loses its punch, and then you end up disappointing
your audience, but most importantly, you end up disappointing yourself,” she
adds.
The
advent of social media has definitely allowed content creators such as Lhakyila
to share comedy skits and aspects of her life with her audience to get closer
to them. Although that is a wonderful thing, it comes with its own mental and
emotional baggage of constantly having to produce videos and always looking
“perfect” in the eyes of viewers. “During my freshman year in college back in
2018, I found myself in sort of a deadlock because I had to juggle my college
life, as well as cater to my audience. And because I was in a new country, the
entire transition threw me off balance,” says Lhakyila, growing visibly solemn.
That
pressure to stay relevant with one’s audience can get to anyone who’s been on
the internet for a while, and it certainly doesn’t take long for it to start
weighing on one’s overall well being. “I could feel my creativity slipping away
during that period, and the emotional toll it had on me was palpable for a few
months. Meanwhile, I didn’t want to force my content out of compulsion because
I knew it would be vapid if I did. Instead of waiting for some breakthrough
moment, I simply distanced myself for a few weeks from social media. What I
needed was a break,” says Lhakyila.
What
a “healthy” consumption of social media looks like is extremely subjective, and
it becomes even more complex when a person with as substantial a social media
presence as Lhakyila has to navigate the online world. “Whenever I contemplate
utilising my platform in a way that’s healthy and enriching instead of draining
for myself, I simplify the whole thing down to screen time. Once I limit my
screen time on Instagram, I can simply focus on creation rather than
consumption,” says Lhakyila. “I can then devote more energy towards sharpening
my content instead of feeding into the negativity that often accompanies social
media platforms.”
Lhakyila’s
simple yet sophisticated, complex yet accessible humour is the hallmark of her
personal brand online. And it is perhaps through this accessibility and
familiarity that her viewers have consistently consumed her content, as though
it were an instant serotonin boost. When one scrolls through her Instagram page
now, it feels like a personal diary of sorts—a once perky teenager now stepping
into the threshold of adulthood while keeping thousands entertained. For people
who have followed her from the get-go, her videos have also turned into a
timestamp for different stages in their own lives—another intricate aspect that
has helped her maintain that relevance through the years.
“I’m
not sure where all of this is headed, to be really honest,” she says, letting
out a nervous laugh. “Till today, simply trusting my gut feeling with regards
to my content, finding the absurdity in the mundane and not forcing things to
pan out have been my ingredients. I guess this is what it’s going to be like
for the time being.”
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