The app that has captivated over a billion people across the world is now on the phones of millions of Nepalis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most Nepalis who are online have come across Tirsana Budhathoki\u2019s videos in one form or the other. She has danced and sung in item songs, done interviews that have drawn controversy on YouTube, and livestreamed her daily routines on Facebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These days, Budhathoki can be found on TikTok, the Chinese-made app that allows you to share short video clips. After failing to make it to the top in Nepali entertainment industry, she emigrated to New York, where she now owns a shop. But that hasn\u2019t deterred her from maintaining an online presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTikTok allows me to show my dancing and acting talents. I can put more smiles on people\u2019s faces through my videos, which makes the whole experience meaningful for me,\u201d says Budhathoki, whose TikTok videos do not only go viral, but are mimicked on the platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TikTok, like for millions around the world, has become a go-to place for Nepalis who want to express themselves without requiring a formal training or a platform. With more Nepalis having access to\u00a0phones in recent years, and as the media landscape gradually evolves, many urban Nepalis are taking their lives public on TikTok in hopes of finding attention and stardom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since being launched in 2017, TikTok has become one of the most popular video-sharing applications, downloaded by over a billion people. In neighbouring\u00a0India and China, the app is so popular that the two countries account for 31 percent and 11.5 percent for this year\u2019s downloads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n