Digital Activism: TikTok As A Tool For Justice

Restoring my Relationship with The Internet (part 3)

This week I took one of the biggest steps toward reconnecting with the digital world: I downloaded TikTok again. For me, this was the biggest and scariest step to take. Tiktok feels like stepping into the heart of the internet itself. Where trends start, news spreads in seconds and people fight for any clicks they can get. Everything collides into this big chaos we casually access everyday.

When I opened the app and began my first scroll, I carefully went from one video to the other, always expecting the worst. I was scared to falling right back into the hole I just dug myself out of. That first scroll reminded me why platforms like TikTok can be so dangerous. So, as always, let’s start looking at the facts behind the risks of this week’s digital focus: Tiktok.

The Negative Sides of Tiktok

A study has shown that spending too much time on TikTok can actually make people feel less connected to others and more lonely than ever. This is something I have touched upon in an earlier blog, the more time you spend scrolling, the easier it gets to start comparing your life to the idealized versions you see online and get a constant reminder of the things you are missing out on. According to the study, this can slowly feed into feelings of anxiety and depression.

TikTok’s endless, personalised feed encourages us to keep scrolling, overwhelming us with information. If you think about it, before social media, we mostly consumed regional and occasional important international news through newspapers, television or the radio at specific times. Now, we are bombarded with global news 24/7.

This constant exposure can be paralyzing and since negative stories tend to dominate, it’s easy to feel helpless, as if the world is collapsing right before our eyes. That’s the state I found myself in a few weeks ago. But this is also exactly why TikTok has become so important, and I am going to explain why.

The Positive Side: Giving Every Voice a Platform.

TikTok is not controlled by any state or any other hegemonic power deciding whose voices matter and whose don’t. TikTok runs on an algorithm, one that reacts to numbers, engagement and interaction. In that sense it is significantly more democratic. If you manage to engage an audience it does not matter who you are or where you come from. It is such an influential platform that can give space to stories that would never make it onto television or into newspapers, allowing people who are usually silenced or ignored to share their experiences with a global audience. Of course, this creates a generation confronted with constant access to information, but at the same time, one that is far more politcally aware and less shaped by the beliefs and norms of their own states.

Plestia Alaqad: The Power of Tiktok’s Algorithm

A perfect example for this phenomenon is Plestia Alaqad. She is a Palestinian journalist I had followed before deleting social media. Back then, her audience was still relatively small, just a few thousand followers.

While easing back into TikTok, I came across her profile and her platfrom has transformed. She has now over 368.000 followers and she appears in interviews and global talks. I was happy to see that she reached her goal and is now able to represent her people and their struggles. Seeing her growth was the reassurance I needed. It was a reminder of TikTok’s power when used intentionally.

Brittany Haslem also notes this in her study in 2022. She argues that Tiktok has become “an impactful and meaningful tool for social justice activism and entry level democracy”. The platform gives users as Plestia a chance to reach wide audiences, regardless of status, you just have to navigate the algorithm.

In moments like these, where there is so much social and political tension, Tiktok became a stage for digital activism, where users could share stories, organise movements and spread awareness. It’s chaotic and sometimes overwhelming, but it’s also one of the most accessible forms of democracy we’ve had online.

How To Use TikTok as a Democratic Tool

As always, after looking at both the dangers and the benefits, the next step is to look at how we can use TikTok in the most productive way possible, as a took for empowerment rather than exhaustion.

1. Be aware of your intention every time you open the app

Ask yourself why you’re opening TikTok. Are you looking for entertainment or do you want to inform yourself? This small act of awareness protects your mental health. Your “For You” page will blend enternainment with heavy news and tragedies into one stream. Make sure to always decide what information you want to consume when you are on the app so you don’t feel bad when you scroll away on heavy topics or people begging for your attention. You are allowed to use TikTok to relax and switch off, but dont forget to use it sometimes to help others be seen and heard and inform yourself. You can always create two accounts, one for fun and one for awareness, so each builds its own algorithm.

2. Use it as a democratic tool, but stay skeptical

As discussed TikTok can be a space for expression and education. Use it to listen, learn and engage with diverse perspectives. However, not everything that goes viral is true. Remember that misinformation spreads easily. Always fact-check before fully believing or sharing what you see.

3. Don’t forget the algorithm: use the search bar, forget the “For You” page

TikTok’s “For You” page is designed to trap you in a bubble of content that aligns with your interests and opinions. Over time, it shapes your world view without you noticing. Challenge yourself to pop that bubble and use the search bar to find other viewpoints and explore topics you wouldn’t normally see. Thats how you regain control from the algorithm, by deciding what you consume, not just what is shown to you.

So, to conclude, TikTok can either drain your energy or expand your world. The difference depends on how consciously you engage with it. I’m learning, step by step, to restore my relationship with the internet, not by rejecting it, but by finding its best purpose.