Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced the commencement of Tier 5 just 5 days into the new year. Various methods of remote learning are taking place across the country but what is keeping your children busy during their free time?

Tiktok is one of the most popular apps with a particular interest shown by young people. However, 50% of the entertainment app's users are aged 18-34. It consists of short unique videos that can last up to 1 minute with users spending 45 minutes a day on the app on average giving efficient entertainment with every swipe. It also provides its users with a source of income if they become popular on the app but terms and conditions apply. 10,000 followers are required in order to be invited to the creator fund. You also need to have at least 10,000 views on a recent post and you must be at least 18 years old. The rate of payment is reported to be 2-4 cents per 1000 views, so approximately £15 per 500,000 views. but how is this innovative social media platform affecting students inside the classroom?

Over 70% of teens claim that "Tiktok has affected their attention spans". Studies suggest that a potential cause this gradual decrease in attention span is the video duration. The Prefrontal Cortex is responsible for focusing one's attention. The reason why TikTok is so addictive is that it gives you new entertainment every 15 seconds. This causes a constant demand for interesting information which isn't possible for every student in the classroom. Musical.ly transitioned into TikTok in November 2017 prosperous ever since. In the summer of 2017, the GCSE Results revealed that 7.2% of students achieved an A*/Grade 9 in at least one of their subjects. However, after Tiktok's release, this statistic dropped by 2%.   

If I had to choose between Online School and Tiktok I'd chose TikTok.

- Naomi Edwards, 15

How to keep your students entertained

  • Encourage your students to use their mics
  • Engage with the different types of learning
  • Give choices
  • Be direct
  • Reward your students
  • Structure your lessons
  • Provide your students with an end of lesson aim