How TikTok Flips the Switch Social Roles
One could say it is easy—tempting, even—to view social media as mindless entertainment. Looking down on social media with slight disdain almost feels like a natural response— particularly when the platform is primarily used for comedy and when its users largely fit into a younger age group. However, upon closer inspection, social media can be the key to understanding generational shifts and social roles. I find this to be extremely applicable to TikTok, which has grown wildly popular ever since it became internationally downloadable just two years ago. During this short time frame, young TikTok users (who often advertise proudly that they are members of the considerably progressive The Zolom's Children) are using comedy to offer new perspectives on stigmas surrounding sexual orientations, mental health, and gender differences, just to name a few.
Examining TikTok’s rhetoric surrounding sexual orientations is an excellent way to observe just one of the ways that the app is rewriting socio-political narratives. One popular trend that fits this mold involves teen LGBTQ+ girls posting videos of them sharing their first kiss with a female crush set to the song “I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend” by Girl in Red. Marie Ulven - better known by her stage name, Girl in Red - is a lesbian Norweigen twenty-one-year-old bedroom pop singer who writes songs detailing her relationships with girls. Using Girl in Red’s music on trending videos has boosted Ulven into being a gay icon for TikTok communities, with users asking girls if they “listen to Girl in Red” as a joking, lighthearted way to question whether or not she identifies as gay. The “I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend” trend acts as a normalization of gay relationships. The fact that these videos circulate widely and made their way to my ‘For You’ page —even though I identify as a straight woman—shows the extremely widespread positivity in response to the portrayal of gay relationships on the social media platform, which can be enjoyed by users of all sexual orientations.
Other potentially socio-political TikTok rhetoric lies in the labeling of what users deem “straight TikTok.” Content that fits under the term “straight TikTok'' is often considered dryer and more “mainstream”: think along the lines of popular, upbeat dance videos and blander comedy styles. Seeing users poke fun and take small jabs at these types of videos can be just as amusing as it is eye-opening. In a traditional world in which LGBTQ+ content is “othered,” TikTok users have flipped the switch by “othering” communities who typically hold power. In other words, whether intended or not, many TikTok users have found a way to shift power dynamics, which teaches us that, in the world of social media, small things can mean a lot. In the world of TikTok, a joke can be more than just a joke and it can, in fact, be a veiled political tool.
In addition to creating positive content to support minorities, TikTok users use the “duet” feature to combat and call out sexist behavior. For example, in the case of a male user uploading a video sexist in nature, a female user might “duet” the video and mock or make fun of the user. These duets are often flooded with comments of comedic praise for the female creator. Duetting potentially problematic videos also applies to instances of racism, homophobia, and transphobia. In cases like this, someone may duet the user in order to use humour to put them down. When taking this into consideration, humour on TikTok can be an effective way to assume the upper hand when encountering prejudice. Rather than participate in typical cancel culture, which can be harmful and illogically cruel to the victim at hand, I find that TikTok users opt to instead respond to unacceptable behavior with dismissive humour. This attitude tactically removes the upper hand from the initial aggressor. To put it simply, the power of TikTok users should not be underestimated.
Recently, TikTok users have been giving extra attention to non-neurotypical users and creators. A current trend involves neurodiverse users filming their stims and uploading them to show others. Stims are habits frequently exhibited by people on the autism spectrum and may include a variety of hand and body movements like flapping one’s hand or rocking back and forth. Stimming is often a response to sensory-overload. In this case, users will film themselves stimming to various songs and will show users their stim toys— which include objects like fidget spinners. Videos like these are often met with praise and compliments in the comments section, with other users asking respectfully curious questions about stims. This influx of positivity has caused TikTok-ers with ASD to respond by saying that they used to be ashamed of their stims, but are now eager to share their habits and educate others. However, just days after showcasing stims on the app went viral, the dialogue around stims on TikTok had already shifted. Other users with ASD were quick to point out that some users have been self-diagnosing and even exaggerating their stims for views. This response helps to educate neurotypical users, who may not be aware that not all people with ASD have extreme stims or even stim at all.
Entertainment is important, especially in the time of COVID-19. Looking back on it, making whipped coffee set to BENEE’s “Supalonely” during the March lockdown probably offered me more solace than I realized at the time. Things like this made me feel not so alone, showing that little things can certainly mean a lot. And though TikTok made me feel less lonely during the early stages of the pandemic, the app is increasingly making users feel more included in even bigger ways through its attitudes towards sexism, LGBTQ+ users, and neurodiverse communities. Although it may feel silly to analyze TikTok to such an extent, why shouldn’t we? After all, so much of Gen Z now use the app on a daily basis. Decades from now, we may very well look back on TikTok with more weight and fondness, realizing that it meant more than we knew.
