The Importance of TikTok and the Syrian Revolution

A major conflict is happening around the world over the TikTok app. While some countries are looking to ban it and others want to combat it, we in Syria are in a different position. There is neither a state nor a parliament studying the issue to decide on its ban or approval. We lack the ability to ban even one simple app with well-known drawbacks! So, what should we do? As the Syrian proverb goes, “If it doesn’t come with you, go with it!”

Therefore, let’s enter this world and master its language well, as we lack the ability to fight it. While some influencers have entered the TikTok world, we need to enter it in a more studied and genuine manner. Just as we entered the Facebook world in 2011, making it almost seem like a platform exclusively for Syrians, TikTok holds significant importance for conveying political messages for several reasons:

• Wide Reach: TikTok is a popular information transmission tool in many countries, both urban and rural areas, allowing access to a wide and diverse audience.
• Direct Interaction: Influencers can interact directly with followers, enabling the delivery of political messages personally and directly.
• Low Advertising Costs: The cost of advertising on TikTok is lower compared to traditional media like TV or newspapers, or even other apps.
• Flexibility: Messages can be changed easily and quickly, allowing adaptation to current political events.
• Rapid Spread: The app operates globally, meaning messages can spread quickly and reach different areas in a short time, more effectively than other platforms.

In short, TikTok can be an effective tool for conveying political messages due to its wide reach, direct interaction, and low costs.

How to Utilize TikTok:

Supporting the Syrian revolution via TikTok involves:

• Raising Awareness: Sharing educational videos about current events in Syria, documenting violations and crimes, and increasing global awareness about Syria’s situation, thereby amplifying our voice.
• Reaching a Broad Audience: Particularly targeting the youth, presenting their messages directly and attractively. Influencers have significant power to spread messages of support and solidarity with the Syrian revolution, as seen in support for detainees.
• Fundraising: The platform allows for fundraising campaigns to support displaced persons and refugees, enabling activists to create and share donation campaigns for humanitarian aid, especially for critical surgeries and the most impoverished and vulnerable cases.
• Documenting Daily Events: Using TikTok to document daily occurrences in Syria, whether protests, violations, or daily life, making these clips an essential source of information and historical documentation.
• International Solidarity: Sharing messages from around the world with the Syrian people through trending topics, which should be well-studied.

TikTok can become a powerful tool to support the Syrian revolution through raising awareness, engaging with the audience, fundraising, documenting events, and enhancing international solidarity, among other media advantages that benefit the revolution and continue its journey.

Differences Between TikTok and Other Social Media Platforms:

There are several differences between various social media platforms and TikTok, including:

• Audience: TikTok primarily targets younger age groups, with most users aged between 16 and 24, while platforms like Facebook have a more diverse user base spanning all ages. However, teenagers and young adults are rapidly shifting towards TikTok, indicating a significant potential to mobilize the international community and direct it.
• Content: TikTok is known for short video clips, often with added music or other sounds. Its algorithm promotes entertaining and engaging content that can quickly go viral. In contrast, Facebook, Twitter, and Telegram allow a variety of content types, including longer videos, photos, articles, and status updates, albeit with a slower algorithm.
• Advertising: Social media platforms are established advertising platforms with various ad formats and targeting options, making them attractive to companies looking to reach a specific audience. TikTok is still developing its advertising options and has a smaller ad market. However, its algorithm and engagement focus have made it an attractive option for influencer marketing.
• Social Connection: Other platforms aim to connect people socially, while TikTok focuses on entertaining and amusing users without necessarily connecting them socially. This presents a new challenge for those with revolutionary zeal to use entertainment as a medium to convey their revolutionary concepts.

While other platforms are crucial for spreading ideas and news, like Facebook and Twitter (X), alongside TikTok, they serve different purposes and meet the needs of different audiences, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. However, TikTok’s unique role in political awareness makes it a subject of research, such as the study by News Guard and another titled “Characteristics of Media Content on TikTok: A Comparative Study Between Arab and Foreign Platforms” published by Cairo University’s Media Research Journal, and the study “Policies for Dealing with Security Challenges of the TikTok Application” by Khaled Kazem Abu Douh at the Naif Arab University for Security Sciences.

Conclusion and Recommendation:

The impact of TikTok on the younger generation is undeniable, attracting a wide and diverse audience, and its resilience against various bans and restrictions. It is also a source of financial income through live broadcasts and fundraising. Regarding our Syrian cause, our media office recommends creating well-studied platforms with political and media programs to spread information, pressure the general public, and change the stereotypical image of the Syrian revolution. We also recommend using the app for advocacy on issues like forced deportation, kidnapping, and detention cases, as well as corruption in Syria, utilizing the app’s services and features like filters and trends.

Ibrahim Mustafa
Researcher at the Research and Studies Department
Media Office
Syrian Future Movement

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