KUALA LUMPUR – Friendship is a connection that builds on common bonds that go beyond sharing a trait, characteristic, or interest between two individuals or a group of individuals.
This bond transcends culture, countries, and even ideologies.
With the world becoming increasingly digital-savvy, we see platforms such as TikTok bridging understanding and connecting more and more Malaysians to find comfort in a community of friends that feel like home.
In conjunction with World Friendship Day which took place over the weekend, TikTok highlights two groups of friends that formed because of their common interests and are now creating content together – some of which may have even appeared on your For You Page (FYP).
1. GoYoung
Bonded by their love for dancing, a group of creators namely JE Pong, Gaston Pong, Caedon Yeong, Jayden Chong, Nicole, Yuki and Lynette came together to form an official dance group, GoYoung.
Being one of the first Malaysians to create a joint account on TikTok, GoYoung saw its followers grow to over 100k within two months.
From nailing all forms of dances, dabbling into the latest TikTok trends, to going on adventures together, members of GoYoung are testaments to finding a 'family' within the TikTok community.
2. No Group Name – Just a bunch of TikTok creators creating together
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While forming a group based on common interests may seem impressive, many enjoy having versatility among friends.
That is why some creators have been spotted in the videos of other creators. Bonded by the joy of creating content, creators like Hubert, Marissa, Moses, Cabi, Gajen, Jason, Zen, Kee, Jonathan, Ramii, Manny, June, Syafiq and Qasrina have been seen hanging out and taking part in trends such as the "Kaki Sakit" trend, Lights by Ellie Goulding trend, dancing trends, as well as skits together.
TikTok has also recently introduced their "Friends Tab" in replacement of the Discover Tab. The Friends Tab is a personalised feed dedicated to the videos created by a user's friends.
This feed features content from both users that follow each other and other suggested accounts from the TikTok community. What's great about being "Friends" with one another on TikTok is the exclusive features that users who follow each other get to enjoy. These include:
1. Comments
Interacting over comments is one great way to build connections. However, TikTok recognises that some users prefer to keep interactions within their circle of friends. Hence, users can limit comments on their videos to only Friends.
2. Duets
The Duet feature has been a favourite among users. It allows them to post their video side-by-side with a video from another creator on TikTok whose account is public. With the Friends feature, users can choose to enable the Duet feature to only Friends.
3. Stitch
Stitch is a creation tool that allows users to combine another video on TikTok with one that they are creating. Typically, users can adopt portions of a video of another user whose account is set to public. But, like the Duet function for Friends, users can keep their profiles public while limiting stitching to just Friends. Users can turn Stitch off or on before they post a video, or for an existing video.
Users can also turn off comments/duets/stitch on all their existing videos at one time in the privacy settings. This means users don't have to go to each video to turn off these functions individually.
While it's normal for users to share parts of their lives on social media, TikTok also reminds users to take extra precautions when sharing them. As a platform that prioritises user safety, TikTok is committed to promoting safety and well-being.
For youths on the platform, there are various safety features such as comment filtering and blocking. There are some Privacy and Safety settings for users under the age of 18 who are on TikTok.
TikTok also offers resources for those who want to learn more about online safety on its Safety Centre, including its Youth Portal that guides users of all ages on how to navigate TikTok safely.
Keep your FYP filled with content that shows diverse friendship ideas and share your favourite moments with #FriendsForever on TikTok.
Download or open the TikTok app now to discover many more ideas and make plans on what you would want to do with your friends. TikTok is available for free on iOS and Android via the Apple Store, Google Play Store and Huawei AppGallery. – The Vibes, August 4, 2022
