Written by Kylie Jenkins
TikTok is a social media platform that has over a billion users. People of all ages use TikTok, however ages 16-24 is the most popular demographic, and it is used in over 150 countries. Over the past year, Tik Tok has made a commitment to diversity and inclusion. In a blog post on Tik Tok’s Community Blog, they wrote “Creators are the heart of TikTok, and as part of our commitment to recognizing and uplifting their voices we introduced our Creator Diversity Collective – a braintrust of talented, passionate creators from different backgrounds who've helped us create and shape programs that spotlight and amplify diverse creators.” The members of the Creator Diversity Collective meet regularly with Tik Tok employees to discuss the creator co
TikTok has been the place for people to advocate for social justice, and to educate others about diversity and inclusion. Last year, the Black Lives Matter movement took over Tik Tok, bringing their cause to millions of people. Users stood with black creators while also pushing for justice. Since then, there has been a push for elevating and supporting creators of color and their causes.
HOW TO GET STARTED
TikTok is a great place for people to start their inclusion journey. There are many different videos available about diversity, different cultures, social justice movements and acceptance. In today’s society, people enjoy learning in an interactive way, and TikTok is just that. It’s engaging, it’s entertaining, and it’s easy to use.
TikTok has created an accepting community. Many users view TikTok as their safe space and use it as a platform to express themselves and find support in a community that accepts them. This is important for inclusive leadership because the more a person is educated and exposed to diversity, the more inclusive and accepting they will be in all aspects of life. Another example is the sharing of pronouns and the effort to reduce the stigma around talking about pronouns.
Need help getting started? Here are 3 quick steps:
Go to the discover tab on the bottom of the Tik Tok app
Search for hashtags. #BlackLivesMatter, #Inclusion, and #Diversity are all good places to start
Search for and follow users focused on inclusive leadership (see examples below)
ACCOUNTS TO FOLLOW
Accounts to follow on Tik Tok to learn more about inclusion and diversity:
@benjy_lookbook
Benjy provides a safe space for users to learn about well-being and inclusion. All of his videos are informative and have closed captions, which allows for many users to be able to enjoy his content
@openlynews
This account posts LGBTQ+ news and informative videos. One of their most popular and also very interesting videos is about how to use non-binary pronouns in spanish
@heforshe
This account is about how the United Nations is mobilizing men to be allies for gender equality
@rainbowhistoryclass
This account posts videos about queer and trans history that you don’t learn in school. Rudy runs the account, and one of his most viral and interesting videos is explaining the derogatory term “fruity”.
@itgetsbetter
This account aims to connect LGBTQ+ youth through storytelling and education. It features various different creators of different backgrounds making educational videos about LGBTQ+ topics, as well as telling their own stories.