High school students are showcasing their marketing prowess by diving into the latest trend: TikTok Shop. Despite the platform's policy restricting minors from joining the programme, NBC News has identified numerous TikTok accounts, all declaring to be under 18, actively posting TikTok Shop videos.
TikTok Shop, introduced in September, has been a game-changer for social media advertising. This novel feature enables users to advertise an array of products, earning a commission for every sale. The rapid influence of this feature is reshaping internet advertising as users exploit its functionalities, sometimes pushing the boundaries of authenticity.
Teens Are Leveraging TikTok's New Feature
A case in point: a 16-year-old with over 33,000 followers crafted a TikTok Shop advertisement promoting $4 women's leggings. He playfully suggested the leggings could make the wearer look so good that they "may get pregnant." This, paired with his dance to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean," garnered significant attention.
Another of his videos promoting the same product amassed over 1.1 million views. Such immediate viral potential is typical on TikTok, where the platform's algorithm can propel engaging content to wider audiences at lightning speed.
TikTok Shop, leveraging the platform's algorithm, showcases a plethora of products ranging from intriguing gadgets to questionable health supplements. Some users have even repurposed content, such as podcast clips, to advertise entirely unrelated products, blurring the lines between original content and marketing.
While adults largely dominate TikTok Shop, many videos reveal teens filming in unmistakably school-like settings-hallways lined with lockers, classroom desks, even during lectures. Surprisingly, not all creators are even using or purchasing the products they're advocating. Instead, they're playing the numbers game, repetitively posting slightly varied content, hoping one video gains traction.
TikTok, in its defense, clarified that it's continually refining its safeguards, especially as TikTok Shop gains momentum in the U.S. While they ask users for age confirmation upon account creation, this easily exploited system has resulted in several underage users bypassing the restriction. Moreover, only those selling personal products need to provide an ID. Thus, many minors advertising third-party products escape age verification.
TikTok's Challenge: Addressing the Underage Wave on TikTok Shop
In line with their policy, TikTok restricts content targeting minors, especially those inducing them to make purchases or persuading parents to buy specific products or services.
It's interesting to note that a sizable portion of the goods on TikTok Shop come from China, but American creators sell them almost exclusively. For instance, a teen advertised leggings from Ying Fu Apparel and a studded belt from "HeartinBelt," both brands hailing from Zhejiang, China. Notably, these advertisements, peppered with humour and youth jargon, raked in millions of views.
On the brighter side, some teen creators genuinely review products they've purchased. A 15-year-old girl advertised a Radiohead T-shirt she wore in her video, which quickly drew almost 3 million views.
TikTok Shop's business model echoes affiliate marketing strategies popularized by early 2000s bloggers, but with a modern twist. Traditional affiliate marketing saw brands providing influencers with discount codes, allowing them to earn a commission. TikTok Shop has revolutionized this by eradicating the need for brands to engage with established influencers.
Although TikTok mandates that Shop users should be 18 with valid tax and banking details, the evident presence of underage users on the platform showcases the challenges of digital age verification and the allure of easy online monetization for today's tech-savvy youth.
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