Member-only story
First TikTok War (TokWar)
TokWar — that’s the name Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has already started to get. Reports of both military actions and subsequent videos that are part of the information war are spreading on TikTok at a dizzying pace. And the app’s algorithm can make 9 million people view footage of the Kiev bombing overnight.
“Oh… Forgiveness for who you are. And for what you want to gain. But know that if you hide, it still won’t go away.”
The indie-pop band MGMT sings in the background, and the footage shows projectiles falling on houses that are terrifying yet beautiful in their terror.
Facebook has had a problem with the aging demographics of its users for years. Instagram is catered to the beautiful, the rich, and the camera savvy. In contrast, the increasingly professionalized YouTube has one of the highest barriers to entry, which are both editing skills and professional recording equipment. TikTok stands in opposition. A simple platform for recording videos for which all you need is your phone, and the condition for gaining popularity is to please the algorithms.
