TikTok

Students become popular TikTok content creators.

By Elton Wong

Senior William Wong | @will.3um

With the push of a button, the cameras start counting down from fifteen seconds to one. TikTok has become a fast and easy way for students to make content from music videos to POVs (point of view) videos. Now, some AHS students even went viral. For senior William Wong, racking up views on this social media platform has made him an internet celebrity. With a follower count of over 30,000, his TikTok account has been getting him a lot of attention around campus lately.

“The recognition feels good. I would’ve never thought about being the kid that everyone knows is on TikTok,” Wong said. However, racking up those views also comes with a lot of planning. “When I make videos I ask myself , would I want to watch this?” Wong said. However, Wong’s reason for making videos is not just for fame but for experience. He plans to keep up with his TikTok endeavors. “I want to continue making people laugh through my TikToks,” Wong said. •

Senior Joshua Delos-Santos | @joshueuh

Watching TikTok videos meticulously on his screen, senior Joshua Delos-Santos was inspired to make his own. “At first I started watching videos. Then, I started making videos [on TikTok] and one of them kind of blew up,” Delos-Santos said.

For Delos-Santos, this was the origin story of his now flourishing TikTok account. His account now bolsters around 136,300 likes and around 8,000 followers. With those views comes a ton of dedication as he makes over six videos a week.

Delos-Santos’ secret to farming up the views and drawing in crowds is simple. “I just look on the ‘For You’ page of my TikTok and see what people are laughing at. Maybe sometimes, [I] mix it up a little, ” Delos-Santos said.

Speaking from experience, Delos-Santos believes that being TikTok-famous is as difficult as it seems.

“If someone were to watch a few videos, they might get the algorithm down and be as famous as me,” Delos-Santos said. •

Senior Aaliyah Arellano | @phantomknives

Having a talent to create, senior Aaliyah Arellano showed her skills by making videos to showcase her works. “I had a lot of free time, wanted somewhere to spend it, put my creativity somewhere, and show my friends off because I like them,” Arellano said. Arellano paved the way to her TikTok success by making various types of videos, from DIYing and customizing Air Force shoes to making mini vlogs on the platform. Her account quickly grew to over 89,200 likes and 4,500 followers.

Being famous on the popular social media platform requires research on what is trending on the “For You” page before making content in order to take advantage of TikTok’s algorithm for getting their videos out there. The algorithm lets a user select few lesser-known content creators videos show up depending on their amount of likes. “You really have to keep up with the algorithm when making TikTok videos,” Arellano said. Although blowing up on TikTok has made her proud of her work, she questions whether to continue with TikTok. “I want to focus on other important things around me,” Arellano said. •