Put a finger down if, as an adult in their mid-late twenties, you scoffed at the idea of tweens prancing around on TikTok and swore you would not be seen dead downloading it. Then the UK went into lockdown in March and you spent 8 hours a day watching the latest viral videos. Oh wait, that’s me…
For us millennials, TikTok seemed like the latest fad that would be over before it really got started. Looking at you, MySpace (RIP). The social media service started life as musical.ly – the birthplace of lip-syncing videos - before being rebranded as TikTok in 2018.
While the app is far from perfect, a really rather wholesome corner has formed – one that strives to educate users on a whole host of topics. Beyond the viral dances and pitch-perfect lip-syncing is a surprisingly educational side of TikTok. In a society where young people can feel ignored, it is refreshing to see that TikTok has given them a voice.
Black Lives Matter
The devastating events that unfolded in the US over the last few months have been completely shocking and left a lot of people feeling powerless. The protests that took place after the murder of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake have been widely discussed by the media, but TikTok’s coverage feels much rawer. The black squares and cutesy graphics all over Instagram were lambasted as empty gestures by many users including Joy Oladokun, who penned a song about the performative anti-racism being shown by corporations.
As the overall progressive nature of TikTok feels a world away from the “All Lives Matter” brigade over on Facebook, white teens on the app have documented having frank conversations on race with relatives who deny there is a problem. The word “brave” may be thrown around too much, but these actions are definitely courageous as it would be all too easy to not get involved in difficult discussions.
LGBTQ+
With an estimated 800 million users, coming out on TikTok is no easy task. But that’s exactly what young people are doing in a move that will hopefully take the drama out of such an announcement. Gone are the days of a lengthy Facebook post followed by disapproving comments from your aunt Karen. TikTok is the place for the LGBT+ community to be themselves.
The casual nature of uploading a TikTok has allowed users to come out in a fittingly memeish manner with accompanying filters and camera effects. In less than 20 seconds, young people can make a clarifying statement about who they are and then get back to mocking millennials.
History, but make it ~fun~
A TikTok trend that popped off in late 2019 was teens recreating historical happenings, with a level of sass and shadiness one can only hope to achieve.
Generation Z has taken the stereotype that they are internet-obsessed and ran with it.
Teens from across the globe have personified events such as the European expansion into the Americas and the creation of the League of Nations.
The videos are accurate, entertaining and, above all, engaging. It makes me jealous that all I had was flashcards and smelly gel pens.
While TikTok definitely has its faults and a lot of the content should be taken with a pinch of salt, it has to be said that there are pockets of the app that articulately engage users in topics that they would not otherwise consider.
The last few months have demonstrated that we can achieve change when we support one another and it is refreshing to see youngsters addressing pressing issues on a global platform. The kids are alright.
Words by Tayler Finnegan
Image courtesy of Solen Feyissa via Unsplash
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