Introduction

The introduction frames the exponential growth of TikTok from its debut in China in 2016 and its entry into the United States in 2018 to its complete takeover of the global social media market in 2020 and beyond. The introduction considers how TikTok falls within a lineage of social media apps that have revolutionized internet cultures, paying close attention to how young people are creating this cultural shift. The introduction provides context for the innovative ways that scholars are engaging with TikTok in the United States, as evidenced in the book’s chapters. The introduction also details various hallmarks of TikTok: personalization, community, virality, and types of content.