TikTok

TikTok screen wipes

TikTok has allowed any of us to become social media famous, with the app showcasing new talent surfacing from viral trends that anyone can participate in.

One of the most popular trends is the #WipeItDown challenge, which shows users as their normal selves in a mirror before wiping the mirror down to reveal a surprising alternative image.

Stars such as Jason Derulo and Will Smith have had fun with the trend. The videos are set to the song Wipe It Down by BMW Kenny and Theelboy.

The Hype Life will focus on the lives of the popular TikTok collective The Hype House, who are a group of Gen Z influencers who collectively have over 150 million followers.

Viewers will see the unvarnished truth of what day-to-day life looks like for the group, and discover what motivated the social media stars to join TikTok and create The Hype House.

“There’s a huge opportunity for news broadcasters to tell the softer or more interesting stories through the platform – also [stories] that aren’t necessarily so time relevant. That’s basically what our audience want,” said Edward Lindeman, TikTok’s European strategy manager.

“I don't really want to go on the platform and hear about [Brexit] – but I am interested in learning new things and discovering content.”

Earlier, the RTS convention had been told that, as a brand, Netflix today enjoyed the same high levels of public trust as the BBC. As for the TikTok-using, mobile-addicted members of Generation Z, the BBC looked to be completely under the radar.

Now it was the time for Tony Hall, the BBC’s Director-General, to respond. He did so in a wide-ranging, troop-­rallying speech, and argued that, in today’s age of uncertainty, characterised by propaganda and disinformation, the BBC and public service broadcasting were more important than ever.

Video-sharing platform TikTok was the word on everyone’s lips leaving the second session, “Exploring Gen Z”. Many had not heard of the Chinese-owned social media sensation, but were keen to find out more in order to reach the elusive next generation of viewers. Many market researchers describe Generation Z as those born after 1997.

Defined by session chair Rob Chapman as the generation “for whom 9/11 wasn’t a coming of age event”, Gen Z were instead shaped by the recession of the last decade.