Why can’t you use Tik Tok in China?

Short videos are in demand. People have less time in hand and prefer 15 second videos. TikTok has 1 billion active global users, indicating steady growth of the short-form video app. But have you heard about Douyin, which is similar to Tik Tok?

Douyin is also a short video-making app. Douyin and TikTok are both Chinese apps that belong to Bytedance company. Then what is the difference between them? Why does Bytedance have two similar apps ?

The apps target different audiences. Douyin is made for the Chinese audience and TikTok is for other countries. You cannot download and install TikTok in China even with VPN. Likewise, try downloading Douyin outside of China - again not possible.

Is there a difference in their content? Absolutely yes. The videos on Douyin are more educational like learning English, food videos, landscape videos, or cute pet videos. You will see science experiments to do at home, museum exhibits, or patriotism videos.

Tik Tok content: The content is more entertaining and marketing-focused than educational. You will see influencer dancing videos, soft-pornographic, or brand promotional videos.

Do you spend huge amounts of time on social media? You watch reel after reel (another form of short video) and time flies by. But no one is policing your usage apart from you.

Time and addiction control: The usage of Douyin is limited to 40 minutes a day. There is a mandatory 5-second delay between videos to make you aware of the time you spend on Douyin. The app lets you decide if you want to do other things or continue.

Binge-watching: “Research has proven that it can be difficult for the brain to shut itself down after a viewing marathon, thereby causing disturbances in your sleep cycle.

Long hours spent in front of the screen passively consuming content can also lead to the risk of cognitive decline, leaving you feeling dazed and slowing down your ability to process information,” says Tanvi Sardesai, a clinical psychologist at Masina Hospital, Mumbai.

Final note: China has arguably made a good decision to restrict its population to less mindless scrolling and content. This is not possible in democratic countries. But could governments encourage online platforms to nudge users towards more educational content?