Cedar Springs — It was the day before Halloween at Cedar Springs High School, and seniors Ayden Cook and Aubrey Newberg, along with junior Phoebe Fisk, were dashing through the halls at a clip, phones in hand, popping into one classroom after another, asking, “Do you want to be in our TikTok?”
The team was working on producing a patchwork rendition of “Monster Mash,” with each line sung by a different teacher or staff member, for the school’s TikTok channel, @csredhawknation, in time for the holiday.
Breaking only for a few giggling huddles in the middle of the hallway, they got the job done, and the video was up and ready well ahead of trick-or-treating.
The frantic pace is an everyday thing for Ayden, Aubrey and Phoebe, who make up the TikTok group in teacher Justin Harnden’s Media Production II class. TikTok is a recent addition to the class, which also includes teams devoted to Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. The app was integrated last year, but it didn’t blossom into a major area of focus until recently, said Ayden.
It’s been well-received, and the students chalk that up to the app’s omnipresence among students.
‘I feel like what we’re trying to do is make TikTok a more positive space, especially for people at our school.’
— Cedar Springs High School junior Phoebe Fisk
“Because TikTok’s popular with our generation, we can use new trends to try to convey information and make it more widespread,” said Ayden, who’s been championing use of the app since his junior year.
“People don’t really check their emails, but they’ll go on TikTok,” Phoebe chimed in with a laugh.
“TikTok is, like, ever-changing,” added Aubrey. “You’re not going to see the same thing on your feed all the time. There’s always new trends. And it’s just very popular.
“It’s very fast-paced, so it keeps the attention, I think.”
Something Positive
The group is trying to make the best possible use of the app, which has garnered criticism and even legal action for its alleged impact on student mental health.
“I feel like what we’re trying to do is make TikTok a more positive space, especially for people at our school,” Phoebe said. “TikTok is a little negative, like all social media, but … we’re trying to make something positive out of it.”
And they do that by being inclusive and respectful, and working to spark joy, as well as to inform.
“We make people feel included,” Phoebe said. “We go around and get lots of different people in the videos, and I know people like it.”
“It’s all about what you put in,” interjected Ayden. “You’re going to get out what you put into it, and if you put in positivity and inclusion, it’ll be positive.”
Aubrey agreed, adding: “It’s mainly based on how you use it. It’s your perception of it.”
What’s the Process?
The group generates two or three videos per week, usually short ones that are only 15 or 20 seconds long. Some are pure entertainment, others seek to inform, and some do both at once, like a recent video that used a mosquito-led skit to let students know about a blood drive taking place at the school.
“We try to have a balance between having educational content and being more entertainment based,” Ayden said. “About half our posts are just something that will entertain the viewers and make them laugh. … And sometimes we do information in a fun way.”
Many of the videos the group produces meet the requirements of Harnden’s assignments, but some — like the “Monster Mash” video — are projects the students tackle on their own.
‘You’ve got to get down to what they do and what they appreciate or what they like, and be relevant to that.’
— Teacher Justin Harnden
The group tries to include school staff as often as possible; it’s good for engagement, and it helps build relationships between students and teachers.
“I really like making (videos) with teachers, especially when we incorporate popular trends in social media and we bring it into my school,” Ayden said. “You can see their character and make it seem more than just a teacher.”
Added Aubrey: “I do love filming with teachers because it shows me their fun side.”
The students have found a niche with the app, which is strengthening their media skills. Ayden said he’d like to study something media-related in college, and Phoebe would love to turn TikTok into a senior project next year. Aubrey plans to go to law school, so the app likely won’t come in handy in her career, but she said she’s having a blast with it anyway.
Changing the Stigma
Harnden said it’s critical that the school stays up to date with what’s popular among students.
“The demographics on TikTok are very much the demographics we’re working with every day. We’re dealing with high-school kids. That’s how they get their entertainment, that’s how they get their news, that’s how they contribute, that’s how they create, and that’s where they spend most of their time,” he said. “You’ve got to get down to what they do and what they appreciate or what they like, and be relevant to that. Just more relevant to the times.”
Harnden, who signs off on the videos the students produce, said Cedar Springs is ahead of the curve in its official use of the app, especially at a time when many educators either see it as a nuisance or don’t take it seriously.
“My generation doesn’t view TikTok as educational or informative. It’s entertainment based. That’s how we look at it,” Harnden said. “We’re changing that stigma a little bit. … I think it’s important to do the right stuff, and our district is super supportive.
“If we’re not doing a good job of putting stuff out there on that platform that’s engaging, entertaining and informational, then we’re doing a disservice to the people we work with every day.”
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