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Latte make-up, cottagecore, girl dinner: how TikTok has changed the way social media works
- TikTok has been setting trends since 2018, from latte make-up to dadcore. What makes it such a trendsetter compared to other platforms?
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![“Latte” make-up (pictured), “girl dinner”, “coastal grandma” – there is no end in sight to TikTok and its trends. Photo: TikTok](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1020x680/public/d8/images/canvas/2024/07/05/a12fd7bb-0236-4927-8b63-467304df5766_d9167d3e.jpg?itok=PCK5soPR&v=1720186748)
TikTok and its bite-sized videos arrived in its current form in the United States in 2018 as a global version of the Chinese app Douyin.
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Today, the social media platform is deeply woven into the fabric of American consumerism, having shortened the shelf life of trends and revamped how people engage with food and fashion.
The popularity of TikTok coupled with its roots in Beijing led the US Congress, citing national security concerns, to pass a law that would ban the video-sharing app unless its Chinese parent company sells its stake.
Both the company, ByteDance, and TikTok have sued on First Amendment grounds. The First Amendment to the US Constitution protects the freedom of religion, speech, the press, assembly and the right to petition.
![Participants hold signs in support of TikTok outside the US Capitol building in 2024 in Washington. Photo: Getty Images Participants hold signs in support of TikTok outside the US Capitol building in 2024 in Washington. Photo: Getty Images](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/canvas/2024/07/05/d8e97a30-e149-4819-ba20-5fdcccd8d6e1_1126e908.jpg)
While the platform faces uncertain times, its influence remains undisputed.
![](https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/_next/static/media/wheel-on-gray.af4a55f9.gif)
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