It is a well-known fact that things can spread like wildfire on social media platforms, perhaps none more so than TikTok. Known for creating dance, make-up and comedy trends to name a few, the app has produced viral crazes through its popularity among young people and its accessible, bite-size videos (15 seconds to a minute). However, this power is not only useful to those looking to start a dance trend or share their skills with the world. In fact, it is quickly becoming one of the most useful tools in an activist’s arsenal.
Many users of the app will be familiar with the terms “algorithm” and “boost”. They are words often seen in the comments sections of videos, but not all videos – ones with a message. The TikTok algorithm supposedly favours videos with the most engagement, and “boosting” a video by spamming its comment section is a good way to ensure it reaches as many people as possible. This is often done through people “taking attendance” or saying they have “dropped their alphabet”, encouraging people to respond to them and increasing the overall engagement on that video, and therefore the number of people that will see it.
Generally, the videos that many of TikTok’s 3.7 million followers deem worthy of boosting are ones with a message; sometimes they are people spreading awareness about international issues such as the Uyghur Muslim genocide in China or war in Yemen, or someone raising money through a GoFundMe page, or someone else explaining racial microaggressions that people should be aware of. These videos end up with quite literally millions of views and likes, allowing the activists that make these videos to spread their messages to all of those people.
I spoke to Lily Wood, a TikTok user who told me she “personally [has] learnt so much from TikTok in terms of current events” and explained that she herself boots videos so she can “help other people see them and be educated by them as [she has]”. She thinks although there are “many flaws to it”, it is an “incredibly good tool” as young people are more likely to watch current affairs videos right there in front of them than seek out information on news pages.
Of course, activism through social media is nothing new – not only was it a key factor in the prominence of the Black Lives Matter movement, it has been used for a great many years to increase awareness about various topics. But the rapid spread of information and generally increased awareness serves as an excellent reminder of the good social media can do and the power of the young generation of activists who use it.
