Civic Artifact: TikTok Activism

Introduction: Social media is something that is prevalent in people of all age’s lives. Baby boomers and Generation Xers often turn towards Facebook, millennials use Twitter and Instagram, and Generation Zers use all of these and more. A type of social media that is gaining popularity every day, especially with members of Generation Z, is TikTok. TikTok is an app where people can make an account to create and watch videos that span from fifteen seconds to one minute. TikTok, which was formally known as Musically before a name change in late 2018, became popular in the summer of 2019. Generation Z, which is a generation that is now starting to be able to vote in the United States of America’s elections, has been becoming more socially aware. They are not shy to show their thoughts. TikTok is a place where Generation Zers can freely discuss their thoughts and principals, activism, and facts on the issues.

Body Paragraph 1: TikTok is a place where Generation Zers can freely discuss their thoughts and principals. Some people who create TikToks decide to get political by showing their views on issues that are important to them. In these videos, the creators typically use a famous audio or song on TikTok and put captions on their video that talk about their thoughts. On TikTok there are accounts that are specifically dedicated to people posting videos that affiliate with a specific political party’s ideology. @TheDemocratHypeHouse is an account, created by a collection of creators on TikTok, that posts videos in which their opinions fall under the ideology of liberalism. They also post videos in support of the Democratic Nominee for President, Joe Biden, and other Democrats who are in office and running for office; they post videos that criticize President Donald Trump and other Republicans. On the other side of the aisle, there is an account called @TheRepublicanHypeHouse, which was created by another collection of TikTokers. They post videos in which their ideals fall under the ideology of conservatism. They are in support of President Donald Trump and other Republicans, and they are huge critics of for Vice-President Joe Biden and other Democrats. Another example of TikTok creators showing their thoughts and principals is when they make fun of the song “Real Women Vote Trump.” “Real Women Vote Trump” is a song created by three women Trump supporters, and it gained popularity on TikTok in late summer of 2020. Often times, when people use this audio to make a TikTok, they are critical of the song and President Trump; they are usually making fun of these both. This idea of using someone’s words, or in this case, a song, against them is called argumentum ad absurdum. Argumentum ad absurdum translates to argument to absurdity in English. The people who create the TikToks making fun of  “Real Women Vote Trump” are trying to establish the claim that people who vote for Donald Trump are crazy and sometimes go over the top, and if he is reelected, it will honestly be the worst scenario, and people will still make fun of him and his supporters. One final example of people sharing their thoughts on TikTok is the Free Barron Trump Movement. In late summer 2020, people created a conversation that Barron Trump needed saved from his parents, Melania and Donald. The parents face criticism on how the raise their son; people are concerned with the principals they share to Barron. These people believe that Barron Trump looks sad every time he is in public, and he needs freed from his parents.

Body Paragraph 2 Outline:

• Activism
  • K-Poppers/ Gen Z TikTokers Trump Rally
    • Political/ Social Disruption
• Black Lives Matter
  • Against Racism
  • Against Police Brutality
• Claudia Conway
  • Liberalism
  • Thoughts About Parents/ Jobs/ President
    • Parents Resigned
    • Defying Parents/ Going Against Ideals

Body Paragraph 3 Outline:

• Facts on Issues
  • Gen Z More Active (Get to Vote This Year)
  • Voting Registration
  • Facts of Political Candidates
  • Liberalism/ Conservatism/ Socialism/ Capitalism
  • Ethos/ Pathos/ Logos

ADD IN SOMEWHERE: Commonplace: Gen Z typically leans more liberal.

Conclusion Outline

• Restate Thesis
• Other generations think Gen Z = lazy/ things handed to us
• Actually activists/ future leaders of our country
• TikTok may seem silly, but actually a place to express your thoughts, to stay informed, and to make a change.