A London student with over 100,000 followers on TikTok has described her relationship with social media as like “being in a bad relationship. You know you should leave, but you can never really get out.”
Amba Bali, who goes by “@sketchy_bambi” on TikTok has accumulated over 8.6 million likes on the platform in the past year. In an interview with City News, she has opened up about the bittersweet nature of social media.
“Social media has given me some of the best opportunities of my life. But I think it’s also exposed me to things that honestly I think I could have gone without knowing about or participating in.”
While she says she has learnt so much from the internet, she warns of the mental turmoil it can pose to young people. She thinks social media can become damaging, especially when you are exposed to too many different opinions that become impossible to differentiate between.
“On social media we are taking in a lot of information in such a quick period of time – especially with TikTok because the videos are 15 or 60 seconds.”
“And I think without realising it you can be exposed to some things that aren’t so positive, or aligned with your views, and it can really start to take a toll on you if you use it a lot, or if you’re the kind of person who cares a lot about what other people think.”
She confesses that while many people deny worrying about what other people think, she says that she is happy to admit that she “probably cares too much” about other people’s perceptions of her.
Managing a large TikTok audience
Ms Bali’s reaction is mixed when she reflects on the size of her audience.
She says she is mostly happy and excited at how many people identify with her content (she has more than 120,000 followers on TikTok). Adding that she values all the people who watch her videos.
But this high number also makes her feel nervous and intimidated. She says this is because you have to make sure you are using the platform responsibly.
“I do personally struggle because of the way [my account] grew rapidly and I think that a lot of other social media creators feel this as well.”
“You start off as quite a candid account where you share your opinion with the world, and all of a sudden lots of people start following you because they agree with your opinion. And then you have a responsibility to make sure that everything you put up is appropriate for the size and demographic of your audience.”
She says that people can move from individual creators to “businesses” very quickly on TikTok because your content can now become monetised.
What started out as a hobby can very quickly “spiral out of control.”
Levelling up
Despite the turmoil that social media can bring, Ms Bali celebrates the fact that TikTok has made it easier for ‘normal’ people to become famous or gain a large following.
“[Previously] I feel like the industry was relatively closed off and people didn’t really know how to get into it and maybe it wasn’t so easy for people from certain backgrounds to get into it.”
She cites the example of the many actors in the UK with private educations. Platforms like TikTok, Ms Bali says, have made breaking into the industry far easier for those from less privileged backgrounds.
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HeadlineInterview with TikToker Amba Bali: ‘Social media is like a bad relationship’
Short Headline TikToker Amba Bali: 'Social media is like a bad relationship'
StandfirstA London student with 120,000 TikTok followers opens up about the pressures of having a large platform.
A London student with over 100,000 followers on TikTok has described her relationship with social media as like “being in a bad relationship. You know you should leave, but you can never really get out.”
Amba Bali, who goes by “@sketchy_bambi” on TikTok has accumulated over 8.6 million likes on the platform in the past year. In an interview with City News, she has opened up about the bittersweet nature of social media.
“Social media has given me some of the best opportunities of my life. But I think it’s also exposed me to things that honestly I think I could have gone without knowing about or participating in.”
While she says she has learnt so much from the internet, she warns of the mental turmoil it can pose to young people. She thinks social media can become damaging, especially when you are exposed to too many different opinions that become impossible to differentiate between.
“On social media we are taking in a lot of information in such a quick period of time – especially with TikTok because the videos are 15 or 60 seconds.”
“And I think without realising it you can be exposed to some things that aren’t so positive, or aligned with your views, and it can really start to take a toll on you if you use it a lot, or if you’re the kind of person who cares a lot about what other people think.”
She confesses that while many people deny worrying about what other people think, she says that she is happy to admit that she “probably cares too much” about other people’s perceptions of her.
Managing a large TikTok audience
Ms Bali’s reaction is mixed when she reflects on the size of her audience.
She says she is mostly happy and excited at how many people identify with her content (she has more than 120,000 followers on TikTok). Adding that she values all the people who watch her videos.
But this high number also makes her feel nervous and intimidated. She says this is because you have to make sure you are using the platform responsibly.
“I do personally struggle because of the way [my account] grew rapidly and I think that a lot of other social media creators feel this as well.”
“You start off as quite a candid account where you share your opinion with the world, and all of a sudden lots of people start following you because they agree with your opinion. And then you have a responsibility to make sure that everything you put up is appropriate for the size and demographic of your audience.”
She says that people can move from individual creators to “businesses” very quickly on TikTok because your content can now become monetised.
What started out as a hobby can very quickly “spiral out of control.”
Levelling up
Despite the turmoil that social media can bring, Ms Bali celebrates the fact that TikTok has made it easier for ‘normal’ people to become famous or gain a large following.
“[Previously] I feel like the industry was relatively closed off and people didn’t really know how to get into it and maybe it wasn’t so easy for people from certain backgrounds to get into it.”
She cites the example of the many actors in the UK with private educations. Platforms like TikTok, Ms Bali says, have made breaking into the industry far easier for those from less privileged backgrounds.
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