Serious subjects on a 'jokey' platform. In case you haven't heard of it, TikTok is a video-sharing app that lets users create and share 15 – 60-second clips set to music or sound bites. Most of its users are reportedly under the age of 30.

Unlike Snapchat and Instagram, on TikTok's main feed you see content from people you don't know as well as from friends and family - meaning anyone on the app has a potentially huge platform (otherwise known as clout).

The app - owned by Chinese company ByteDance - isn't without controversy. Recently it has been accused of censoring content that the Chinese government doesn't like, including the Hong Kong protests. But the company denies this, telling the BBC: "TikTok does not remove content based on sensitivities related to China. We have never been asked by the Chinese government to remove any content and we would not do so if asked."

Go onto TikTok and you’ll find a world of lip-syncing videos, trending dance moves and reimagined memes.

So, while it might not seem like the most obvious place to try to bring about social change, some say the lighthearted nature of the app allows them to be activists without feeling the full weight of activism. It’s not just knife crime videos. Teens are using TikTok to talk to each other about other topical issues, from wealth inequality to racism.

 

 

Source: BBC News website