Gen Z making a difference; Using TikTok to spread message

     It’s no secret that Gen Z gets a bad rap; I mean we’re all uneducated, undedicated, and rebellious, right? Wrong. In reality, Gen Z is a generation of change and social movements. Think about it, we’re the generation of Malala and Greta Thunberg, of Black Lives Matter and Love is Love.

   But it’s 2020, and you don’t need to be a famous activist to have a platform anymore. Anyone can pick up their phone and start spreading a message; which is exactly what millions of TikTok users do on a daily basis.

  More specifically, over 200 TikTok users with large platforms came together to make a joint account called @tiktokforbiden. With this account they educate viewers about the upcoming election, spread information about how to vote, and campaign for presidential candidate, Joe Biden; all while dancing, doing makeup, and more.

  Young adults are known to vote less than any other age group in America, however the goal of this page is to encourage anyone from seniors in high school to college graduates to get out to the polls, (or cast a mail-in ballot), and change that. We have a say in who runs the country, but only if we take it.

  The @tiktokforbiden page isn’t a small account either. The runners of the account have a combined following of over 80 million people, which is more people than voted for Trump in the 2016 election, and they even made the news. Having a reach that large is definitely a good sign for when it comes time for people to cast their votes this November.

  And though spreading awareness about important issues is always good, it’s the actions following your awareness that really counts. Which is a concept that the runners of the account seem to understand.

  Part of the @tiktokforbiden page is also a link to buy merch designed completely by a 16-year-old TikToker, named Caitlyn Mourek. Majority of the merch reads “Gen-Z For Biden” but the website has a large variety of choices. The best part is, 100% of the proceeds go either to Biden’s campaign or organizations such as Black Lives Matter.

  I know it might be tempting to feed into stereotypes about teenagers, but the truth is that many of us are sick of the way things have been, and we’re done patiently waiting for change. We’re speaking up, we’re getting involved, and we’re starting movements. Like the 226 Gen-Zers decided to do in the creation of @tiktokforbiden.