How fast is the speed of culture? In TikTok’s case, around four days. The short-form video platform is designed for these kinds of moments in which a video catches some part-human, part-algorithm wave on its way to global fame.
A single unit of video, also known as a TikTok, is similar to the long-defunct Vine. Perhaps the only difference between the two is that TikTok came along at a time when smartphones with broadcast quality cameras have long been ubiquitous. Users are just as receptive to experimentation, but now there are infinite possibilities as to where a viral hit can...