Many colleges are using TikTok to promote their programs and highlight student achievements. Some institutions are also using the app to combat negative stereotypes and stigmas, such as Cape Fear Community College’s TikTok that tackles community college skepticism.
Almost half of college students say they use TikTok more than Google and that the information they get on the platform is’somewhat’ or’very’ accurate.
1. About half of college students use TikTok.
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Some students are worried about their personal data being collected on TikTok, but many others do not feel this way. Some colleges use TikTok for recruitment purposes and to highlight their programs. For example, Cape Fear Community College created a series of TikToks to combat the stigma associated with community college education.
Another common use of TikTok is for dance challenges. These are videos where creators create choreography for a popular song and then challenge other users to join in to this. The videos become very popular and can be watched by millions of people.
In addition to creating and watching these videos, some students are interested in becoming a TikTok influencers. BIPOC students are more likely to say they want to be a TikTok influencer than white students. This could be due to a perception that the platform is more accepting of diversity than other social media platforms.
2. About one-third of college students use TikTok for homework help.
Despite all the negative hype about TikTok, some colleges are embracing it as an educational tool. One example is WashU, which has created a TikTok account that reposts campus events and other content.
Some students use TikTok to find homework help, such as videos or pictures of equations and diagrams. Others use it to stay up-to-date on current events and news. A few have even used it to communicate with professors or other students, including a sixth-grade special education teacher named Rebekah who asked for TikTok clips of her students solving word problems in their assignments.
Educators like Sam Hirsch are also using the app to boost student engagement. As a social media intern at WashU, Hirsch creates TikTok videos that put a campus twist on popular trends. His most recent video, a skit about the university’s capybara, featured several of its students and got over 100,000 views. He’s also trying to follow trends in other ways, such as posting a video on Friday that features a professor swapping places with a student to teach the class.
3. About one-quarter of college students use TikTok to find their community.
Colleges and universities have jumped on the TikTok bandwagon to reach Gen Z and millennial students. They are creating content on the platform to show off campus life and share student culture.
The platform allows users to create short videos that can be up to 10 minutes long. Initially, the app was focused on entertainment and dance, but creators have since started to post informative videos that cover topics ranging from health to finance.
In a Pew Research survey, millennial and Gen Z students say they learn on TikTok’somewhat’ (38%) or’much’ (15%) as much as in school. They are also more likely to say they trust the information they find on TikTok.
Higher education marketing teams are using the app to showcase hidden study spots, dispel campus misconceptions (such as that dining hall food is lousy) and more. They are also repurposing content from other platforms to maximize their reach on the app. However, the app is facing scrutiny for its privacy policies and could face a ban.
4. About one-fifth of college students use TikTok for entertainment.
Many TikTok users are captivated by the 15-second clips of entertaining, humorous content and trending skits. The platform also offers the opportunity to become a “TikTok celebrity” through lip-syncing videos or dancing along with popular songs, and some creators earn millions of followers.
Other users enjoy watching TikTok content that covers a wide range of topics, from beauty to fitness to cooking. More than four in 10 students who use TikTok say they watch these kinds of videos on the app.
In addition, some college students use TikTok to find news and information. For example, about one-third of college students who use TikTok say they get most of their news and information on the app. And 18% of students say that the accounts they follow on TikTok help them make sense of current events. However, many of these students are skeptical about the quality of the news and information they receive on TikTok. They’re twice as likely to trust a social media account that shares political news or opinion articles if it comes from a BIPOC person.