“Today, TikTok is divided into two main categories, Straight and Alt TikTok. What do these sides represent and how this divide affected OSA culture?“ -June Price, Seventh Grade
Since 2020, TikTok’s influence on the younger generations seems to have spread faster than COVID-19 at a Trump rally. This app has been constantly evolving since Zhang Yiming established ByteDance, TikTok’s mother app, in 2012. Today, TikTok is divided into two main categories, Straight and Alt TikTok. What do these sides represent and how this divide affected OSA culture?
The straight/alt divide is based on essentially one concept: deviance. Oxford defines it as “the fact or state of departing from usual or accepted standards, especially in social or sexual behavior.”
The straight/alt divide is based on essentially one concept: deviance. Oxford defines it as “the fact or state of departing from usual or accepted standards, especially in social or sexual behavior.”
(Photo Credit: @yrstup1d on TikTok)
Generally, minorities such as the LGBTQIA+ community, artists, neurodivergent people, and people outside traditional European beauty and religious standards are labeled as deviant and cast away. Alt TikTok is made up of “outcasts” making space for themselves on TikTok. The content that makes up this area of TikTok includes many from those communities: mainly queer, neurodivergent, and POC voices’ as well as activism, psychedelic imagery, cosplay. Alt Tik Tok is known as the weird, artistic side of the app.
Straight TikTok, the widespread, original side of the app, is, unlike alt TikTok: built on conformity rather than deviance. The content that makes up Straight TikTok includes thirst traps, POVs, dancing, lip syncing, rich white straight cis people, and light comedy. It is known as the “normal” TikTok and is mostly popular for its dancing videos.
Generally, minorities such as the LGBTQIA+ community, artists, neurodivergent people, and people outside traditional European beauty and religious standards are labeled as deviant and cast away. Alt TikTok is made up of “outcasts” making space for themselves on TikTok. The content that makes up this area of TikTok includes many from those communities: mainly queer, neurodivergent, and POC voices’ as well as activism, psychedelic imagery, cosplay. Alt Tik Tok is known as the weird, artistic side of the app.
Straight TikTok, the widespread, original side of the app, is, unlike alt TikTok: built on conformity rather than deviance. The content that makes up Straight TikTok includes thirst traps, POVs, dancing, lip syncing, rich white straight cis people, and light comedy. It is known as the “normal” TikTok and is mostly popular for its dancing videos.
(Photo Credit: @lorengray on TikTok)
“There are some people at OSA that are into straight dances and stuff. I find that annoying, but whatever makes them happy, “ says Charlotte Tilp, a seventh grader at OSA.
Jaslynn Cruz, a middle school student in the Visual Art Sub-Pathway at OSA said that “I’m only on TikTok for art videos, really.”
Oakland School for the Arts is a school known for the opportunities it offers to young people interested in the arts. This poses the question, “Does the fact that OSA students are more dedicated to art-making and creativity mean it is strictly alt?”
Maya Fleming, an eight grade OSA student in the Theater Sub-Pathway, reflects that “I used to only watch the dances, but now I like to watch any creative videos on TikTok.”
Fleming adds that “[In 2019], Tiktok was starting to be a thing. Today, TikTok, especially Alt TikTok, is more widespread at OSA. TikTok used to be a bunch of people doing dances. Now, there’s a lot more content on TikTok, so more people have seen alt things.”
“There are some people at OSA that are into straight dances and stuff. I find that annoying, but whatever makes them happy, “ says Charlotte Tilp, a seventh grader at OSA.
Jaslynn Cruz, a middle school student in the Visual Art Sub-Pathway at OSA said that “I’m only on TikTok for art videos, really.”
Oakland School for the Arts is a school known for the opportunities it offers to young people interested in the arts. This poses the question, “Does the fact that OSA students are more dedicated to art-making and creativity mean it is strictly alt?”
Maya Fleming, an eight grade OSA student in the Theater Sub-Pathway, reflects that “I used to only watch the dances, but now I like to watch any creative videos on TikTok.”
Fleming adds that “[In 2019], Tiktok was starting to be a thing. Today, TikTok, especially Alt TikTok, is more widespread at OSA. TikTok used to be a bunch of people doing dances. Now, there’s a lot more content on TikTok, so more people have seen alt things.”
(Photo Credit: @charlidamelio on TikTok)
“The dances” Fleming mentions are straight TikTok’s viral dancing trends. The dances feature a series of movements accompanied by popular music. Some of the most popular dances include WAP, Renegade, and Kiss Me More.
Chloe Breed, an OSA sixth grader in the Vocal Music Sub-pathway, admits that “I like the dancing videos, and I’m on straight TikTok. But OSA is mostly alt. Because my old school, I didn’t even know about the LGBTQ+.”
Maya Mastropasqua, a seventh grader in the Literary Arts Sub-pathway at OSA added that,
“Yeah, I think there are definitely some straight people at OSA, but I think OSA was more influenced by Alt TikTok, just because it’s an arts school.”
Tamara Scott, a middle schooler at OSA, says “OSA is more artsy, of course, and that means we’re creative and alt appeals to us more than other schools”
Overall, it seems the queerness, creativity, and diversity of art kids seems to have led to alt TikTok having more influence on OSA.
SOURCES:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ima3igSxwRI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8OctG2KWX0
https://www.tiktok.com/@besperon/video/6858616257927761158?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buzzfeednews.com%2Farticle%2Flaurenstrapagiel%2Fmost-viral-tiktok-dances-of-2020&referer_video_id=6858616257927761158&refer=embed&is_copy_url=0&is_from_webapp=v1&sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6891581267042141701
Maya Fleming, Isis Horton, Amaya, Jaslynn Cruz, Tamara Scott, Maya Mastropasqua, Chloe Breed, Evie Otieki, Danielle Sutro, and Charlotte Tilp were interviewed.
“Deviant” Oxford Dictionary. Oxford Languages.
https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en
Werner Geyser. “TikTok Statistics – Revenue, Users & Engagement Stats (2022)” Influencer Marketing Hub. January 13, 2022
https://influencermarketinghub.com/tiktok-stats/
Liao, Rita, and Catherine Shu. “TikTok's Epic Rise and Stumble.” TechCrunch, TechCrunch, 26 Nov. 2020, https://techcrunch.com/2020/11/26/tiktok-timeline/.
Hampsink, Iris Olde. “Straight Tiktok versus Alt Tiktok: The Creation of Deviance from Within.” Diggit Magazine, 28 May 2021, https://www.diggitmagazine.com/articles/straight-alt-tiktok
“The dances” Fleming mentions are straight TikTok’s viral dancing trends. The dances feature a series of movements accompanied by popular music. Some of the most popular dances include WAP, Renegade, and Kiss Me More.
Chloe Breed, an OSA sixth grader in the Vocal Music Sub-pathway, admits that “I like the dancing videos, and I’m on straight TikTok. But OSA is mostly alt. Because my old school, I didn’t even know about the LGBTQ+.”
Maya Mastropasqua, a seventh grader in the Literary Arts Sub-pathway at OSA added that,
“Yeah, I think there are definitely some straight people at OSA, but I think OSA was more influenced by Alt TikTok, just because it’s an arts school.”
Tamara Scott, a middle schooler at OSA, says “OSA is more artsy, of course, and that means we’re creative and alt appeals to us more than other schools”
Overall, it seems the queerness, creativity, and diversity of art kids seems to have led to alt TikTok having more influence on OSA.
SOURCES:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ima3igSxwRI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8OctG2KWX0
https://www.tiktok.com/@besperon/video/6858616257927761158?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buzzfeednews.com%2Farticle%2Flaurenstrapagiel%2Fmost-viral-tiktok-dances-of-2020&referer_video_id=6858616257927761158&refer=embed&is_copy_url=0&is_from_webapp=v1&sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6891581267042141701
Maya Fleming, Isis Horton, Amaya, Jaslynn Cruz, Tamara Scott, Maya Mastropasqua, Chloe Breed, Evie Otieki, Danielle Sutro, and Charlotte Tilp were interviewed.
“Deviant” Oxford Dictionary. Oxford Languages.
https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en
Werner Geyser. “TikTok Statistics – Revenue, Users & Engagement Stats (2022)” Influencer Marketing Hub. January 13, 2022
https://influencermarketinghub.com/tiktok-stats/
Liao, Rita, and Catherine Shu. “TikTok's Epic Rise and Stumble.” TechCrunch, TechCrunch, 26 Nov. 2020, https://techcrunch.com/2020/11/26/tiktok-timeline/.
Hampsink, Iris Olde. “Straight Tiktok versus Alt Tiktok: The Creation of Deviance from Within.” Diggit Magazine, 28 May 2021, https://www.diggitmagazine.com/articles/straight-alt-tiktok