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The Cultural Frontline: How is TikTok changing culture?

Magazines & Reviews

How is TikTok changing culture?

10/09/2022 GMT

BBC World Service - The Cultural Frontline, How is TikTok changing culture?

We speak to creators about how the platform is changing music, comedy and literature.

Sophia Smith-Galer explores how to share your art, go viral, beat the algorithm, make money and connect with people worldwide on the world's biggest social media platform.

With over one billion monthly users, TikTok is now the platform of choice for comedians, musicians, artists, filmmakers, writers and dancers around the world. Their aim is to go viral and even possibly become the next global superstar. 

So just how do you get your video onto phone screens around the world? Digital journalist and social media expert Rebecca Jennings talks to Sophia Smith-Galer about how the TikTok algorithm works and why there is content censorship controversy on the platform.

What does it take to go from TikTok to the top of the music charts? Sophia speaks to four musicians about how the platform has changed the way they make music and why they want to share it with a TikTok audience. Emo-musician Daine tell us why they are nervous about the algorithm, and composer Julia Riew explains what made her want to document writing a Korean-inspired Disney-style musical with her followers. The singer-songwriter Tom Rosenthal explains how it feels to go viral, and the violinist Esther Abrami is using TikTok to bring her music to a wider audience. 

Charity Ekezie is a Nigerian creator makes videos that challenge and shatter negative stereotypes about Africa. Her funny and sarcastic videos have racked up millions of views, but she explains why she feels the platform needs to do more to ensure African TikTokkers like her get the recognition and financial opportunities they deserve.
 
Have you been recommended a book on #BookTok? The hashtag has had over 73 billion views to date, and has been described as one of the “most active communities” on the platform. Latin American BookTokkers MarianaBooker and BooksbyLA explain what makes a good #BookTok video, their relationships with authors, and how to make money from using TikTok.
 
Producers: Sofie Vilcins, Sophia Smith-Galer, Andrea Kidd, Simon Richardson, Kevin Satizabal Carrascal and Jack Thomason.

(Photo: Phone with TikTok logo . Credit: Dado Ruvic/Reuters. Marianabooker photo courtesy of Mariana Etchegary Boyer. Booksbyla photo courtesy of Layla Fernanda.)

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