Communiqué

NEW DOCUMENTARY “TIKTOK, BOOM.” EXPLORES THE IMPACT OF THE CONTROVERSIAL SOCIAL MEDIA APP THAT BECAME A CULTURAL PHENOMENON, PREMIERING ON PBS’S INDEPENDENT LENS OCTOBER 24, 2022

From Director of Award-Winning “Coded Bias,” the New Film Dissects TikTok App Across Socio-Political, Economic, and Cultural Cross-Sections, Featuring Interviews with Leading Gen Z Influencers, Tech Policy Experts, and More

How does a teenage dance app become an issue of national security? From Emmy-nominated director Shalini Kantayya, of the critically-acclaimed film “Coded Bias,” “TikTok, Boom.” makes its broadcast debut on INDEPENDENT LENS October 24, 2022 at 10 p.m. The film will also be available to stream on the PBS Video app.

“TikTok, Boom.” explores how a social media app, best known for videos of teenagers dancing, became the flashpoint of a geopolitical controversy between two superpowers—the U.S. and China. This Sundance favorite explores the impact of an app that eclipsed Silicon Valley to become a global cultural phenomenon reshaping the world. A cast of Gen Z influencers is central to the film, making this one of the most needed and empathetic films exploring what it means to be a digital native.

“TikTok, Boom.” explores the history-making app’s journey from its early origins as a music app, owned by the Chinese AI company ByteDance, to its explosion into the global public consciousness, and delves into the security issues behind the platform, such as content moderation and free speech, and its mental health impacts on young people.

Praised by The Wrap as “engrossing” and by Variety as “sprightly, informative,” “TikTok, Boom.” explores the app’s many layers, centering on the platform’s three well-known Gen Z influencers and content creators: Feroza Aziz, an Afghan American teen activist; Spencer X, an Ecuadorian Chinese American beatboxer; and Deja Foxx, a Filipino American political strategist and model. Each influencer shares their stories of how they catapulted to prominence on the platform, and how their instant stardom on the app has changed their lives, impacting everything from their careers to their mental health.

Intertwined with the stories of these creators are the insights of brave whistleblowers and noteworthy experts across the fields of technology, policy, and media, including: former technology reporter for the New York Times, Taylor Lorenz; Bloomberg News New York Bureau Chief Shelly Banjo; Center for Humane Technology Chief Mobilization Officer David Jay; All Tech Is Human Founder David Ryan Polgar; and more. Taken together, these expert interviews provide rare insight into questions of data collection, child online protection, and geopolitical national security tensions surrounding TikTok.

“TikTok, Boom.” focuses on TikTok’s rapid growth during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, following the creators’ journeys on the platform as they dovetailed with major political events, including the Black Lives Matter movement that swept the nation in 2020. Teen activists, influencers, and journalists shed light onto being “shadow banned” on TikTok, a term that references having one’s content shown to fewer users by the algorithm, i.e. being banned on the platform without formal notice. As TikTok eclipses Facebook and Instagram as the most downloaded social media app globally, the film delves into the geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China, illuminating the causes and impacts of President Trump’s proposed ban of the app, and the impact it would have had on creators and their careers.

“TikTok’s story is about the future of social media itself, and the increasing tension between democratic youth culture and authoritarian data surveillance,” Kantayya said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to helm such a timely film focusing on Gen Z influencers, and how technology meets, amplifies, and opposes our humanity.”

“TikTok, Boom.” was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and was an official selection at SXSW, SF Film, and HotDocs. The documentary is a Campfire Studios Production in association with Olive Hill Media and Such Content. Kantayya’s film “Coded Bias” premiered at Sundance, was broadcast on PBS’s INDEPENDENT LENS and launched on Netflix.

Visit the “TikTok, Boom.” page on INDEPENDENT LENS for more information about the film.