How TikTok Went From Just-Dance to Justice
Creators like Collin Brientnall have become catalysts for human rights in the young-adult community by using their influence to provoke awareness and action in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
By Fiona Kiefer
Amid the news reports, protesting, political races and COVID-19 stands a platform that reinvents social media and communication as we know it. I’ve come to realize TikTok has become a phenomenon among all age groups, most common in the impressionable Gen Z.
An abundance of creators, more popularly known as “influencers,” have emerged from this internet forum. Many of these influencers have strayed from their typical content of shaking their hips to the latest hip-hop remix, or step-by step recipe for their grandma’s vodka penne pasta and have made a conscious decision to promote important current events that permeate the news cycle, especially the Black Lives Matter movement.
Influencers like Collin Brientnall have incredible influence on many of their followers, including myself. In fact, as many as 4 in 10 teens trust influencers more than they trust their friends, according to a study conducted by digitalmarketinginstitute.com. TikTok has emerged as a popular app in a time of great change in the worlds of social media and human rights, and people are beginning to come to terms with the power and relevance of the app.
TikTok claims the app’s focus is “to capture and present the world’s creativity, knowledge and precious life moments, directly from the mobile phone. TikTok enables everyone to be a creator, and encourages users to share their passion and creative expression through their videos.”
As a product of this hyperactive platform many popular creators have amassed millions of followers and have found ways to captivate their audience, earning them the title of an “influencer.” The fun-loving nature of this app has taken a slight turn as certain creators recognize its power to voice their opinions on social and political issues.
Brientnall is an avid supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement and posts about human rights issues, alongside his typical comedic content — humor that usually pokes fun at his inability to emote properly or videos of him lip-syncing on the toilet sharing his humorous challenges with school work.
Brientnall is an 18-year-old from Charleston, South Carolina and began his account with no intentions of accumulating 1.4 million followers and a total of 73.5 million likes in such a short period of time. It was during COVID-19 quarantine when he saw his follower count multiply; beginning in April with 400,000 followers and ending in May with 1 million.
I was immediately struck by Brientnall’s humble compassion as he made it clear how much he cares about others and sees no debate in this fight for justice. His sense of justice is evident on all platforms as he shares posts on Instagram encouraging his followers to register to vote. One post features a picture of himself in a shirt with the efficacious words “protect kids not guns.” His true effectiveness lies in his witty-yet-respectful calling of attention to the Black Lives Matter movement on his TikTok account @collinb963. His posts of advocacy and allyship range from an array of videos calling out other creators and celebrities for failing to speak out on the movement to strongly encouraging TikTok users to sign provided petitions, as well as standing in front of a green screen with the message, “Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor.”
Brientnall's sense of self-reflection should not be overlooked, as he shares that “We’ve addressed the fact that there is white privilege, but, there is a privilege when you have a large number of followers. Either way you need to use your privilege to educate people and make people feel heard.”
This revelation that he could use TikTok as a tool came about on June 1 in light of a blackout day across TikTok, when creators refrained from posting content unrelated to the movement for a day. Brientnall decided to abstain from posting his typical content for an extra week out of respect, as well as to share his indignation for the unjust crimes against Black people and incentivize his followers to turn their attention to educational sources and videos.
“I didn’t think it was appropriate to be posting comedic videos about myself when times were of such severity,” Brientnall says.
Many of his followers find solace in his posts and inspiration, including Anna Proctor, a rising junior at Shrine High School in Royal Oak, Michigan. Proctor mentions that “by seeing so many young people, like Brientnall, speaking out, it brought back the political side of me.”
She also notes a high morale in her peers who are speaking out about human rights more actively, which she credits to TikTok. This is unsurprising, as a study done by commonsensemedia.org found that 65% of teens prefer a visual medium for learning about news, and TikTok is exceedingly visual.
Brientnall’s activism has stirred up empowerment and empathy in his followers. The choice to modify his content is not only to influence his followers to be more thoughtful and take action, it is also to make those suffering at the hands of systematic racism feel heard and appreciated.
“If you have a following it's your responsibility and your job to make sure people feel heard,” he says. “It's not just important but necessary to speak out because if you do have a platform a lot of your followers may fall into the category of people being oppressed."
Brientnall serves as a strong voice in the youth, as he continues to speak up for what’s right despite the momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement slowing down. Brientnall shares his dislike for the way people treat human rights as a trend to stay relevant, noting the way other influencers have removed the Black Lives Matter card, a link containing helpful resources and petitions to sign, from their profiles.
“(The Black Lives Matter movement) is basic human rights, or basic human decency as I like to say. It's about having compassion for other people, so I think it's very important to use your platform for that kind of stuff," he says.
Brientnall’s adamant sense of morality aids in galvanizing action in teens throughout the app and even brings about accountability among all creators to speak up and use their influence. These predominant faces of the app have the ability to normalize and open up otherwise difficult conversations.
“It was disappointing to me (when creators I followed) wouldn't speak out,” Proctor says. “This movement draws the line for who I can or cannot support.”
About the Writer:
Fiona Kiefer of Ferndale, Michigan
Fiona is an incredibly lively, witty and passionate individual. She can often be seen playing her heart out in a game of field hockey or engaging her peers in a philosophical debate. She enjoys being the center of attention but also finds the greatest joy in spending time with loved ones and taking in the wonders of the world around her.