On TikTok, virtual activists block celebrities who don’t use their platforms to speak out against injustice, hoping to force those noticed to act.
By blocking influencers on various platforms, primarily TikTok and Instagram, activists aim to reduce the engagement and earnings prospects of stars who rely on logo deals tied to the number of their fans and the potential success of their ads.
TikTok activists perceive the price of attention: if celebrities can benefit from their fame through logo deals, why can’t they raise awareness for charitable causes?
TikTok users can still see sponsored posts from influencers they don’t follow, but blocking an account ensures that all of their posts, adding sponsored content and ads, are removed from the timeline.
Activists hope that the blockade crusade will force influencers and celebrities to use their platforms for purposes other than advertising.
The motion was “Blockout”, “BlockTok” and “Digitine” (digital guillotine).
Critics have called the collective lockdown “cancel culture” or “slacktivism,” but supporters cited a decline in the number of celebrity fans and noted that some had become stressed to speak out.
In the wake of emerging wealth inequality, online animosity toward celebrities and celebrities has increased, as the intimacy of social media highlights the economic divide between celebrities and their fans.
Social media users display photos and videos depicting the excesses of celebrities, as well as the ravages of war, economic desperation and climate change, all on the same timeline.
The stark contrast between suffering and indulgence has led to comparisons to The Hunger Games: Suzanne Collins has spoken of the cognitive dissonance she felt as she switched cable channels, seamlessly switching between war politics and truth TV show, offering inspiration for her dystopian series.
On TikTok, references to The Hunger Games were made at the 2024 Met Gala, with many placing the opulence as uncomfortable, but a tasteless joke by influencer Haley Kalil (@haleyybaylee) prompted commenters to take action.
Posting a clip of her dressed for the Met Gala, Kalil lip-synced a line delivered via Kirsten Dunst as Marie Antoinette, “let ’em eat cake. “
The famous quote (possibly fictional) is said to have been spoken through the Queen of France after she learned that her starving subjects were running out of bread.
TikTok users didn’t find the joke funny, but @ladyfromtheoutside posted a reaction video pointing out a virtual war of elegance and saying:
“It’s time to block all the celebrities, influencers, and rich socialites who use their resources to help those who want it most. We gave them their platforms. It’s time to get them back, get our reviews back, organize our likes, our comments, our money, by blocking them on all social networks and virtual platforms.
Kalil has since deleted the video and posted a lengthy apology, but it was too late: other TikTok users began spreading the hashtag #digitine and targeting big names like Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift.
TikTok users cited the plight of Palestinians in Gaza, wealth inequality, and the climate crisis as valuable reasons that celebrities might simply draw attention to, and began creating and sharing celebrity blocklists perceived as silent.
However, the lists were criticized for being disorganized and contradictory: one user pointed out that some lists included the names of deceased celebrities, as well as those who have spoken out publicly against injustice.
Some celebrities have spoken out after appearing on the blocklists, such as Lizzo, who posted a video on Instagram asking her fans to donate to humanitarian organizations that help the population of Gaza, Sudan and Congo, and claiming that she had donated money. to the 3 organizations.
Lizzo did not specify the amount of her donation, however, reports mentioning donations below her level suggest that the singer has donated around $10,000 to a fundraiser similar to Operation Olive Branch, a volunteer-led collective that directs the budget to displaced Palestinians.
Research site Social Blade shows a drop in subscriber numbers for many names that appeared on the lists, some wasting thousands since the start of the movement.
The numbers are small compared to the total number of people who adhere to them, but they may not reflect the true impact of the event, since many participants probably would not have adhered to those celebrities in the first place.
On TikTok, Taylor Swift’s 32 million fans dropped to 200,000, while her Instagram saw a drop of 328,000, leaving her with 283 million in total. Kim Kardashian has lost about a million fans on Instagram, but she has more than 362 million in total.
Haley Kalil, the influencer who encouraged the hashtag, lost 100,000 fans on TikTok, but lately she has more than nine million.
The hashtag sparks debates on TikTok about the genuine effectiveness of the mass lockdown movement.
Smaller designers have logo offerings tied to their following, but big names like Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift seem to have garnered the most attention; Given that they have millions of fans and multiple sources of income on social media, the two stars appear to be the least affected by the protest.
At the very least, the virtual has sparked debates about social injustice and wealth inequality.
#BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo began as hashtags before morphing into multiple movements that mixed virtual activism and active protest. Until now, digitine has been limited to social media.
However, the BBC noted that virtual activism can be an effective tool to help raise awareness and political movements.
Digitine is possibly more of a symbol of discontent than a true revolution, but it does signify a cultural shift, indicating that the public expects celebrities and influencers to make more contribution to society, beyond the realm of entertainment.
Update: The online outcry is starting to take root outside of TikTok, at least among Taylor Swift’s fans, who are known for taking collective action on the issues they care about.
Then, several Swifties took to social media to ask that Taylor Swift “speak now” about the Gaza conflict. Some Swifties posted photos of themselves with symptoms saying: “We demand quick action! » Outdoors in the rooms of the singer’s Eras Tour.
Swift, who has become an outspoken feminist and passionate about social justice, has yet to speak out on the conflict.
Swifties noted that Paramore, the opening band for Swift on the European leg of the Erasmus tour, shared a message on Instagram highlighting Save The Children and Doctors Without Borders, two organizations that offer aid in Gaza.
Swifties also noted that Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, two musicians who produced much of Swift’s music, shared a viral AI-generated symbol that reads “All eyes on Rafah. “
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