Social media platforms are being used by educators and creators to share information and educate their viewers. From TikTok to Twitch and YouTube, it is nearly impossible to join an online community without learning something.
HillmanTok began as an accident, but has become a new viral sensation that has educated curious students worldwide.
Leah Barlow, a professor at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, currently teaches an Introduction to African American History class. In an effort to connect with her students, Barlow posted an introduction to the class on TikTok before the semester began.
Barlow’s video successfully reached her students, but it also went far beyond that. Over 4 million TikTok users viewed the video and dozens of other educators followed Barlow’s path.
A flood of videos by Black educators and experts appeared on users “For You” page, covering topics from livestock homesteading and artificial intelligence to cosmetology and constitutional law.
The surge of videos has become known as HillmanTok by Cierra Hinton and become the internet’s unofficial historically Black college and university. The unofficial HBCU even has a website, where courses are listed by topics that redirect users to TikTok pages.
HillmanTok developed following one of the most divisive election campaigns in history. In this current political climate, social media users are relying increasingly on these sites and content creators to stay up to date on education and current news.
Both major political party campaigns in the 2024 presidential election ensured it reached younger audiences, using social media and the internet to spread influence.
In July 2024, the Republican National Convention invited more than 70 conservative influencers to attend as part of the RNC influencer program. The program brought creators onto the convention’s floor each day for thirty minutes to make content.
In September of the same year, the Democratic National Convention welcomed nearly three times as many content creators. The initiative garnered over 350 million views for the convention.
Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, known online by username HasanAbi, was one of the content creators in attendance. Piker live streamed his coverage of the DNC to his following of 2.8 million on the platform.
Twitch, an online live streaming platform, is used by gamers and lifestyle creators to stream their content and interact with communities in real time. A sub-community of the service is fueled by political commentary influencers, a movement spearheaded by Piker.
Piker describes “himself as an entertainer, with the goal of helping young people make more informed decisions,” in an interview with NBC. He streams nearly eight hours daily, covering news on the local and global scale.
TikTok and Twitch are not alone in the ability to provide a platform for content creators to educate and inform.
YouTube, a video sharing website, has been around since 2005. Members of every generation utilize YouTube for how-to videos, news and educational content. Perhaps the most widely-known educational channel on YouTube, especially for current college students, is Crash Course.
Crash Course was launched on YouTube in 2011 by John and Hank Green. Over 1,600 educational videos discussing topics like biology, psychology and world mythology are available for free to students or curious viewers.
Instagram, X and even Facebook also have content creators that share news and information. However, social scientists say people should always consume news shared online carefully.
Social media is wielded by educators and commentators to share ideas and spread information. In an increasingly digital world, the internet creates new platforms for creators and accessible forms of education available to everyone.
