Is TikTok Secretly A DATING APP

Every app eventually becomes a dating app.
Twitter and Instagram users are sliding 

into each other's DMs,
Facebook is trying to get in on the dating game,
and even sites like Nextdoor,
a social networking site for neighborhoods,
sees regular thirsty posts from users looking for dates.
But what's the deal with TikTok?
It's the fastest-growing social media network,
where its users, mostly teens,
make short-form videos of themselves lip-syncing,
dancing, doing challenges,
and seamlessly(无缝地) keeping up with the latest
inscrutable(神秘的) trends.
But according to social media researchers,
while TikTok-ers aren't there to swipe left or right,
it doesn't mean that people
aren't starting relationships
from virtually meeting over social media.
The most famous person so far to announce
that they're looking for love on TikTok
is YouTuber James Charles.

“I made one major ovservation since downloading

TikTok a few weeks ago,

and it's that this app is pretty much a dating app.

Everyone on here is either in a very cute

relationship or is painfully single.”
Typing "#dateme" into the search bar
yields hashtags that have millions
upon millions of views,
the most popular being #someonedateme,
#datemepls, and so on.
Many Gen Z-ers see TikTok
as a relatively safe and relatable community.
These "Toks" are basically
makeshift dating profiles,
putting users' best qualities on display,
even if it's text overlayed on a video
of them dancing to a viral song.
The text may reveal their occupation(职业)
or desirable traits like their ability to cook,
but it's the dancing or song choice in the video,
and how they really present themselves
that displays a side of their personality
that dating apps can't, at least for now.
A representative from TikTok told us,

“We love that our platform encourages

people to be their authentic selves,

whether that's sharing the quirky side of a loving relationship

or the endearing(讨人喜欢的) attributes（属性） that make

someone TikTok's most eligible(合意的，可为佳婿的) bachelor(单身的人).”

It's much easier to whip together(搅到一起)
an appealing Tinder profile
with a few good pictures
and a compelling bio
than it is to meticulously（精心设计的） learn
the latest viral dances and
project your personality
on a constantly-evolving social platform.
Unfortunately, the cutesie, well-intentioned,
flirty TikToks also have a darker side.
The app's target audience
is between 13 and 17,
and this leaves young people,
particularly young women,
vulnerable to receiving messages from older men.
Reports of predatory behavior
on TikTok are common.
Even if a user isn't underage,
there is still potential for abuse.
TikTok has exploded in the past two years,
but it's still in its infancy compared to other apps.
Despite TikTok's problems,
there's room for genuine connection.
With an ever-growing user base,
it may just be that TikTok is secretly
the biggest dating platform
out there right now.
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and how the world around us affects sex.
As always, I'm Anna,
and thanks for watching Mashable.
(hip-hop music)