TikTok’s policy update: Empowering students to find accurate info on climate change
TikTok, one of students’ most used social media platforms, has taken a strong stance against climate change misinformation. The app has started to increase enforcing a new policy that bans content that “undermines well-established scientific consensus” about climate change.
When TikTok was first launched, the majority of the content was centered around dancing, comedy, or fun trends. Nowadays, you can find videos about a wide range of news topics, including politics, vaccinations, and environmental issues. With Gen Z — many of whom are students — turning towards social media as a news source, it is extremely important that students have the skill set to find accurate and credible information online.
In our most recent #WinAtSocial LIVE Lesson, Every Day is Earth Day: Considering how our collective actions in 2023 impact the environment, students explore ways to positively interact with the environment and brainstorm steps that they could take to support our planet. Speaking out on social media to raise awareness about environmental concerns is definitely at the top of many students’ minds. With TikTok’s new policy updates, students can feel a little more confident that the information they’re seeing about climate change on the app is true. By empowering students with accurate information, they may feel inspired to use their mics for good and get involved in the fight against climate change.
TikTok advances its commitment to climate literacy
For Earth Day 2023, TikTok spoke out in order to drive sustainability awareness within the TikTok community. In a recent post, they shared creators who champion sustainable living and advocate for environmental protection as a way to explore how we can invest in our planet and make a difference.
Among TikTok’s goals for driving sustainability awareness are harnessing creativity, taking action with creators and organizations, and advancing their commitment to climate literacy through new initiatives. One of the initiatives is a new climate misinformation policy, in which TikTok has committed to enforcing the removal of climate change misinformation. Working with independent fact-checking partners, TikTok will review content on the app and potentially delete it depending on what it contains. They might remove content that has statements that deny the existence of climate change or the factors that contribute to it.
How will this new policy affect students?
This new policy will help to make accurate information about environmental issues more accessible and available on social media. It could even empower students to take action online and offline by posting content that advocates for sustainable practices or getting involved in cleaning up the environment in their own communities.
In addition to inspiring students to speak up about issues they care about, the policy update may also help to remind students of the importance of being critical of the information they see on social media. Though apps like TikTok and Instagram can be great tools for sharing information, it’s still vital for students to do their own research when taking a stance or an active role in advocating for causes they care about.
TSI’s Take
Social media has proven time and again that it’s one of the most powerful tools when it comes to sharing information on a massive scale. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter have the ability to reach a vast audience— a majority of that audience being students— which means the content shared on social media has the ability to affect a student’s values, beliefs, and opinions. That’s why it’s more important than ever for social media and tech companies to prioritize the removal of incorrect information about significant issues like climate change.
Many students are passionate about environmental related-issues and engage with the topic frequently in their personal conversations, through volunteering, and in the content they consume and share on social media. In our #WinAtSocial Grade 10 Use Your Mic For Good Lesson, Unlocking social media to solve real-world problems, we help students to explore how they can unlock social media to solve real-world problems, like climate change. In this lesson, students have the opportunity to:
- Discuss social media’s rising impact on building awareness and creating change.
- Differentiate between philanthropy and charity while exploring the role each plays.
- Identify key factors that drive success for nonprofit organizations
For access to this #WinAtSocial Lesson and more, contact us today!
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The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in understanding student experiences and creator of #WinAtSocial, a gamified, online learning platform that equips students, educators, and families to navigate social experiences — online and offline — in healthy ways. Our unique, student-respected approach incorporates topics like social media, technology use, and current events that have a significant impact on student well-being. Lessons teach life skills for the modern day to inspire high-character decisions that support the health, happiness, and future success of students, while capturing data that provides insights to school leaders to inform school policy and communications, and enable high-impact teaching and a healthy learning environment. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities.