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TIKTOK EXPANDS YOUNG MALAYSIAN TALENTS BY CREATING CONTENTS

Wednesday, 4 May 2022
By Faiqah Nasuha

Many talents go unnoticed since there are only a few places for people to demonstrate and show off their skills. However, TikTok has filled that void.

TikTok has expanded rapidly in Malaysia, particularly in early 2020, when the pandemic began and Malaysians were placed under Movement Control Order (MCO), resulting in many downloading the application and creating videos to pass the time.

Since then, a growing number of local videos have been successfully landing on many people's For You Page (FYP), ranging from food videos, fashion videos, book reviews, restaurant reviews and many more.

According to The Sun, its short-video format is a godsend, especially for the younger generation, notably Gen Z, as it allows users to create entertaining material with music, exciting sounds, and visual effects.

The video application provides a space for Malaysians to experiment and express their creativity while encouraging others to post and create their videos using their skilled editing technique and lingos that attract people to watch them.

An example of unique jargon used by a well-known content creator, @ivor_xianz to entice viewers.

(Source: Berita DIMENSi/Faiqah Nasuha)

TikTok has such a varied selection of videos, causing Malaysians to bring and learn new things that are not prevalent in the country, such as veganizing Malaysian foods.

Aisya J Way and Kristin Tan, for example, are well-known TikTok users who have developed a number of videos demonstrating easy recipes and encouraging people to attempt veganized versions of traditional dishes.

Although TikTok has millions of downloads, there is still a negative perception of people thinking it is a waste of time and energy. Elysa Suhaimi, 23, a student and a frequent TikTok user expressed her opinion on the negative judgement.

“It also depends on our mindset. If we watch something and believe that it is beneficial, we will get a positive result from it and vice versa.

“We can learn a lot from TikTok; it's no longer just about dance videos, now we can also learn about religion, skincare, cooking techniques and many more,” said Elysa, through a WhatsApp interview with Berita DIMENSi.

Since social media is the centre of everyone’s lives, anything unusual can happen, such as getting recruited through social media platforms. However, getting an employment opportunity through social media is not completely impossible, at least not for Hannah Khairul.

Hannah Khairul, 22, a Public Relations student, as well as a content creator, a freelance photographer and videographer, grabbed the golden opportunity of becoming a social media intern for Lilin+Co through her TikTok account.

Hannah as the photographer for the launching of Lilin+Co’s new scent back in February.

(Source: Hannah Khairul)

“I first posted videos publicly around last year, documenting all of my past works and projects and it gained a lot of views. Since then, I started posting and treated my social media as a portfolio for work, and that is how I landed the position as a social media intern for Lilin+Co.

“I actually worked as their production staff, and after three months of working, my bosses stumbled upon my TikTok videos and asked me if I was interested in being a social media intern,” said Hannah during an interview with Berita DIMENSi.

Hannah also worked with a local brand named HYGR earlier this year, where she photographed the products and did the visual design.

“It makes me overwhelmed with excitement and pride because I turned my TikTok account as my portfolio, which was my initial objective and I got the result of it,” she continued.

Even though some individuals question the merits of TikTok, it will always be a significant part of someone's life as it is where people make extra money or acquire their major source of inspiration, among other things.

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