Sofas, charisma, and the rise of TikTok
On the rise of charismatic leaders in times of crisis. Is TikTok ours?
Photo by Hasha Dar
It was the infamous summer of 2020 when I lounged on my sofa and opened the App Store to download the rising star – TikTok. The humorous and witty six-second videos were compelling, comforting, and somewhat addictive. The continuous scroll seemed innocent until I was lying in bed, reciting viral TikTok songs. It came naturally, just like that. No effort. Popular psychology tells us that humans enjoy easy comfort - the release of dopamine. I am not here to compare TikTok to drugs, but the harbour of mindless scrolling was irresistible, especially when the world was falling apart.
Whilst TikTok is relatively new, how it came about is not. History books are full of infamous tales on the rise of dictatorships and political leaders, especially amid global crises. What many tales tend to share is that crises are exploited and manipulated by “charismatic” leaders. The rise of Hitler was greatly empowered by a global crisis. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the Treaty of Versailles meant that he could appeal to a tired and hopeless German population as a reliable, charming leader to look up to. However, I’m not here to make you relive the days of A-level History, nor to convince you that history repeats itself.
Yet, it is undeniable that the rise of TikTok and its timing is fascinating. Don’t get me wrong, the platform existed way before the crisis. But before March 2020, TikTok rarely crossed my mind or tongue. Its growth, especially in the West, vastly accelerated with the intensity of the Covid-19 pandemic. Indeed, The State of Mobile 2021 report revealed that TikTok was the most downloaded app of 2020. TikTok rose like a charismatic leader, offering comfort in a world filled with headlines of Covid-19 death statistics and empty pasta shelves in supermarkets. In “The social construction of facts and artifacts” Bijker and Pinch argue that social groups have the power to define artifacts, depending on the desires needed to be fulfilled. It is only natural that people sought comfort – resorting to careless humour that requires no attention span, which has become an appealing shield from the horrors of the world in the quest for quick dopamine.
However, what made the rise of TikTok much more masterful than anything we’ve seen in history is its personalisation. Among myriad other reasons, many dictatorships become uprooted because of the disillusionment with their governance. However, TikTok’s mastery is the ability to keep everyone engaged at all times. The “for you” page is a reflection of users’ previous engagement, i.e., likes, comments, the time spent watching the video etc. Behavioural analytics run TikTok’s prediction system. While the algorithm is not innocent, TikTok does not dictate you; you dictate TikTok, essentially self-governing. Dictatorships rise charismatically, but what many fail to do is preserve the charisma in the long run, eventually crumbling. TikTok, on the other hand, preserves it because users keep themselves engaged, powering up the algorithm and accommodating their own needs and desires. Who knows you better than you know yourself?
Users’ constant control over the flow of content, coupled with TikTok’s persuasive tendencies, means that it’s here for the long run. The rise of TikTok happened on our sofas amidst global boredom. It felt natural because it was comforting. When the world became riddled with fatal and unfamiliar reality, dancing to a viral beat was the only whiff of normality. Meaningless scrolling was an outlet, and witty humour was a coping mechanism. Best of all, we got to dictate our reality - not the other way around.
Pi Opinion content does not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial team, Pi Media society, Students’ Union UCL or University College London. We aim to publish opinions from across the student body — if you read anything you would like to respond to, get in touch via email.