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TikTok matches have transformed the way content creators interact with their audiences and opened up new opportunities for video creators. Here, the rules are simple: at least two creators appear simultaneously on screen, each looking to score as many points as possible. Five minutes is the time it takes, on average, for viewers to award points to the influencers they most revere, by tapping on their screen or offering paid virtual gifts.
The format has rapidly gained in popularity, attracting content creators, reality TV influencers and even entrepreneurs seeking visibility. For many, TikTok matches offer an opportunity to stand out from the crowd, monetize marketing partnerships and, above all, generate revenue. A lot of revenue.
If you're a fan of the platform, you've probably already heard of "diamonds", the virtual currency that spectators buy to support their daily “pioneers”. These match-generated diamonds, with an estimated cost of $0.05 each, can then be exchanged for real money, creating a system where Tiktokers are rewarded according to their popularity and ability to engage their audience.
However, behind the facade of playful competition lie deep-seated concerns about the impact of TikTok matches on users, particularly minors. The tone of the matches is brief and high-spirited, almost overwhelming: they rely heavily on incitement to spend, with Tiktokers clamoring for more and more of their followers’ attention.
To stay competitive and create emulation, it's not uncommon for match participants to give public recognition to their donors, playing on the psychological chords of these users. Performing live, combatants multiply their calls to action and can pass these practices off as a form of emotional manipulation. This creates a toxic dynamic in which spectators feel obliged to give in order to be accepted or appreciated by their online community.
The vulnerability of TikTok's youngest users raises particular questions. Although the app has age restrictions in place to limit minors' access to gifting features, many young people find ways around these restrictions, exposing a vulnerable audience to emotional, but also addictive, risks.
Legislators and children's professionals have therefore long been calling for firmer action from authorities to protect users, especially minors, from these and other harmful practices on social media platforms.
According to this study from the Al-Kindi Center for Research and Development, the millennial generation spends around 4 hours and 11 minutes on various social media sites, giving also Tiktok the opportunity to push for brand marketing. “ Brand incentives and interactiveness, also brand advertisements' appeal, could influence consumers' purchase intention in mobile marketing”. Another reason for families to be cautious about how their children spend their money on Tiktok.
Despite calls for regulation, TikTok continues to push matches as a lucrative source of revenue. Since its inception, TikTok has raked in over $10 billion from user spending, making it the most profitable social networking app in history.
With one study showing a 200% increase in user revenues in 2022, Tiktok could soon be tempted to create the perfect lineup, by teaming up with its flagship content creators. 3-0, final whistle; but all you have to do is to log back in and witness the second leg with your own eyes.
