In class, Professor Smith asked what social media we use and everyone raised their hands when asked if we had TikTok. I spend lots of my free time scrolling TikTok, sending videos to friends, and getting many opinions, news, and pop culture from the app. TikTok was a new app that gained popularity during the beginning of COVID-19 in 2020 and was primarily dancing videos. Today most companies have TikTok, News companies post news video clips, influencers promote brands, and doctors make informative videos.
How much fake news do we believe that we see on TikTok? Manipulated videos and edits are common on the app. Many young individuals see these videos and believe what they hear based on who is influencing them. The app's algorithm is also targeted towards these audiences who are susceptible to believing the news based on their interest.
An example of a time when fake news quickly spread on TikTok was when a video surfaced that someone edited, sharing a news story claiming CNN posted that climate change was seasonal. spoiler alert- people believed it! Fake news such as this enables young people to be spreading false information on the internet instead of getting their information through valid news sources.
My experience with fake news on TikTok
During the Johnny Depp v Amber Heard trial, lots of videos of what was going on in the courtroom where surfacing on Tiktok so people did not have to watch the entire thing. I personally watched a lot of this trial via TikTok, and saw a video of actor Jason Mamoa taking the stand via zoom in the courtroom. This video was of Mamoa using profanity and talking about funny stories of him working with Amber Heard on the set of Aquaman.
This entire video was fake. Someone had photoshopped the video into the courtroom and Jason Mamoa never testified in this case. Myself and others thought this was real for months because we did not do our research on other platforms that are more reliable.
My experiences with fake news on TikTok have shaped the way I use my apps and get my news sources. My digital footprint is definitely similar to other young adults my age. I make TikToks, post on Instagram and follow all of my friends. Through our learnings in class this semster, my main takeaway about my digital footprint is that I need to start evaluating what kind of apps I am getting, and how I am using media to get my information.
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