The Fallacy of Tik Tok “Activism”
A platform fueling uninformed, useless bigots.
What started as a platform for dancing and comedic content has now quickly turned into the platform of anyone who feels empowered by sharing short political statements. These videos have been circulating over the last year and generate a lot of traffic by sharing them on other platforms like Instagram and Twitter. Anyone can create a short video with any message and it can be circulated a million times over in almost no time at all. Now, the problem is not Tik Tok’s platform, it’s popularity, or it’s allowance of political material. The problem is young users being infected with terrible ideas on identity politics and intersectionality. Two words that MAGA-goonies love to use as if profanity, but in reality are harmful and stretch beyond watching 30 second videos.
You Should Never Have to Accept Someone’s Sociopolitical Identity
Recently I came across a Tik Tok video similar to ones I had seen over and over. While the video cannot be found for the purpose of sharing it here, it is not short of resembling the plethora of videos just like it under #politics on the app. The video was of a young person sharing her thoughts on respecting others’ identities. In this video, the person claimed that in order to stop the red train of hate in America, the public needs to learn to respect the identities of others — as if otherwise you would fall under the category of bigot, or racist. I noticed it had been shared and liked thousands of times not only on Tik Tok, but on Instagram, too. I chose not to include the person‘s identity or the video for the sake of not slandering them specifically, and also because this isn’t a singular instance.
Users really gravitated towards this message. The problem? The message itself. This user’s call to action came across as so entirely vague that it leaves a lot of room for interpretation, and, in my case, criticism. Why on Earth would one be a bigot for not respecting or validating one’s identity? What even is identity classified as in this case? Race? Sex? Religion? The video brought up the topic of race and religion, but ended on the vague note that anyone’s identity should be tolerated and accepted.
This is utter nonsense. The day we have to accept anyone’s identity is the day we lose a crucial element of our ability to call out the degenerates of society. If someone identifies as a racist, a proud Southerner, a rapist, a colonialist, a caregiver, a free rights activist, a Muslim, a Christian — this does not, or rather should not, give anyone social and cultural credentials. These all become sociopolitical identities inherently when one brings them to the table of political discussion, or as a tool for cultural advancement. It becomes political when someone uses their demographic or category as a means of taking precedent over anyone. Even on an individualist level. If someone’s identity is something that you find destructive or not, doesn’t concern the privilege of it being accepted by another.
Rejecting one’s identity as an extremist is not necessarily fueled by hate, or bigotry. How can one become a bigot of the bigot? This is merely anti-bigotry. There is no middle ground, or gray area when it comes to these kinds of identities. Further, this should be treated as a golden rule, and that exceptions to this practice are excluded for the sake of seeking dominance over others. This is due to the necessity that we don’t base the essence of ourselves’ in these kinds of identities.
These kinds of videos surely are made under a myriad of reasons, but one I can’t help but assume is for a sense of empowerment. On any social media platform, an opinionated post or video is not in the realm of activism. “Tik Tokers”, Instagram influencers, Facebook fighters or Twitter warriors are not providing any bit of substance to achieve activism. Conjuring up a clever choice of words does not equate to intellectualism. And it certainly does not mean you’re an activist, or helping the cause. The riots in Minneapolis are not going to end because your fifteen-second video circulated forty-thousand times. Throw away your phone made by oppressed Asians, get out of your pajamas and take to the streets.
