In today’s day and age, everything seems to start with an online presence. To make it big in entertainment, it is crucial to have a large following on various forms of social media, with the newest imperative platform being TikTok. 

For example, some of the most famous music creators today such as Olivia Rodrigo and Tate McRae have enhanced their career by using TikTok. TikTok is a platform that many artists use to either start or boost their music career, and oftentimes the app allows for these artists to grow their fame through their following, likes, views and shares. 

In winter of 2021, California high schooler Olivia Rodrigo had merely a few thousand followers on TikTok. When she posted a snippet of a song she was writing, it went viral overnight. 

Several hundred Staples students followed Rodrigo on Instagram after her album release, contributing to her wide following and popularity increase. Rodrigo showed many people that it was possible to become famous from a social media app and start their own successful careers. 

While Rodrigo wasn’t the first TikToker to grow famous on the app, she was one of the most monumental people in paving the way for new artists to obtain fame from TikTok. 

Even some creative Staples High School students have showcased their talents on TikTok in the form of singing, dancing, cooking, doing art, selling clothes and making jewelry. 

Making money directly from the TikTok corporation is something that is hard to do. However, using TikTok to attract consumers to your own webpage is more easily attainable. Even if you aren’t a song writer, TikTok allows creators of all things to build up awareness and market themselves/their products to the correct audience in order to increase sales and promote their small businesses. 

Unique opportunities for teenagers to make money and present their abilities have opened up through social media apps. While some parents may think social media is a ‘time-waster,’ apps like TikTok can actually help their children start their own businesses or build a career for themselves, as long as they are willing to put in the work. Fame and good business requires a strong work-ethic and being able to market yourself to the correct audience, and on TikTok, that involves including the correct hashtags to get your videos onto the For You Page. 

While many are beginning to see the bright future TikTok offers, apps as such are starting to become a popular source of advertising for people and/or their small businesses. Over time, TikTok has become a place where dreamers and creators alike can showcase their skills and talents online for the world to see.