Chris Stokel-Walker

TikTok has taken over the world in just a few short years. What does its success mean for the future of technology? Journalist and author Chris Stokel-Walker tells the inside story of the Chinese app, with unprecedented access to key company figures, along with the superpower battle with the US over its future.

China, the US and the Superpower Race for Social Media

TikTok Boom

Two billion people now watch YouTube. Yet stars such as KSI and PewDiePie mystify many. What is the secret of their appeal? How do they cope with being in front of the lens? And who is behind their success? Chris Stokel-Walker has spoken to more than 100 insiders for this – the first independent, in-depth book on YouTube. He charts its rise from single home video to global boom industry, while getting the facts on brand deals, burnout and authenticity. Delve into the real lives of YouTubers, discover their true impact on society, and see the future of social media.

How YouTube shook up TV and created a new generation of stars

YouTubers

TikTok has taken over the world in just a few short years. What does its success mean for the future of technology? Journalist and author Chris Stokel-Walker tells the inside story of the Chinese app, with unprecedented access to key company figures, along with the superpower battle with the US over its future. 'A careful, detailed teardown of the people, culture and technology behind the world's most dynamic social network, TikTok. It is rare for a business analysis to read like a thriller – this one does.' Azeem Azhar, Founder, Exponential View 'TikTok is perhaps the fastest growing and most addictive social media tool yet created. This book is vital to understanding how it works and the impact it's having.' – Damian Collins MP, former chairman of the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee 'In TikTok Boom, Stokel-Walker matches the unparalleled breadth and scale of growth of the Chinese platform with remarkable depth and spectacular wisdom. Blending journalistic narrative with state-of-the-art academic research, no other author comes close to weaving this epic tale of the rise of China’s first global platform threatening Silicon’s Valley hegemony while operating as inflection point around the rise of one globe two Internet systems. This is a must read for students, scholars, and policy makers.' – David Craig, Clinical Professor, USC Annenberg 'It's clear that Stokel-Walker's strength is that he's not just TikTok-literate, he's TikTok-fluent. He knows the product, the people, and the entire ecosystem inside and out, and it is this familiarity that makes his telling so compelling, because he knows how to make you feel like you, too, are an insider in this strange new world.' - Rui Ma, founder, Tech Buzz China 'This book charts the story of an app on the rise that's changing the world of tech, charting the future of culture, and creating a new world of work: the creator economy... it breaks down some of the biggest questions for the future of work and culture.' - Li Jin, Atelier Ventures TikTok is the fastest growing app in the world, and the first to challenge Silicon Valley's dominance of social media. Donald Trump claimed it was a threat to US security tried to outlaw it. India has banned TikTok. Do the concerns about TikTok's Chinese ownership justify TikTok's treatment in the West? How has it taken over the world in just a few years, and what does its success mean for the future of technology? In TikTok Boom, journalist and author of YouTubers, Chris Stokel-Walker has interviewed scores of people connected to the world’s hottest app, including current and former employees, as well as some of TikTok’s biggest names in front of and behind the lens, gleaning never-before-seen insights as to how the new influencer ecosystem works. And he goes behind the scenes at its ambitious Chinese owner, ByteDance, which wants to become Beijing's answer to Google, and finds out what has happened to its founder, Yiming Zhang. TikTok Boom presents a nuanced, informed and incisive read on the characters and strategies behind the world's new tech order.

China's Dynamite App and the Superpower Race for Social Media

Jake Paul, KSI and PewDiePie influence the views, lives and purchases of millions of fans. And their power is growing. Two billion people worldwide watch YouTube. Yet despite their reach, YouTubers remain a mystery to much of the public and media. What is the secret of their appeal? How do they cope with being in front of the lens? And who is behind them? Wired journalist Chris Stokel-Walker reveals the answers in the first independent in-depth book on YouTube. For three years he has interviewed more than 100 figures connected with the world's biggest video-sharing website, among them agents, managers and influencers themselves. He charts YouTube's rise from showing a single video of a zoo to multi-billion-dollar site that outmuscles Facebook. And he delves into thorny issues about brands, burnout and authenticity. He explains why YouTubers keep stopping traffic in city centers and whether they will eat normal TV. If you are a journalist, publicist, advertiser, or marketer who needs to know how YouTube works or a parent intrigued by what the kids are watching and why (or just fascinated by the lives of leading creators) you need this book.

Chris Stokel-Walker

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