For day 8 of Better Speech and Hearing month, I am going to share what makes TikTok a great place to learn about Cultural Sensitivity.
You’re probably reading this headline and thinking I’m totally wrong, but hear me out!
TikTok’s mission is to spread joy with shortform videos. Many users on TikTok are becoming creative and resourceful with their time. They use their one minute to educate users on key cultural sensitivity issues.
TikTok allows people to share their authentic experience about topics that are brushed over most other places, like mental illness.
Of course, as with all platforms, there are instances of cultural appropriation, racism, sexism, and discrimination to name a few. But I have learned a lot more on TikTok of the experiences of different identities than I did in public school. I can’t say I’m proud of that, but I can share TikTok accounts that increase my cultural sensitivity as a healthcare professional.
@les_aslterp
Les is an American Sign Language Interpreter and posts #TipsforTerps (interpreters) and you can learn some ASL as he signs in all his videos!
@paigelayle
Paige Layle uses her TikTok to talk about her individual experience as a female with autism, as well as microaggressions she receives as a result of her autism.
@wheelierin
Erin creates comedy videos on TikTok but discusses topics like using a wheelchair, ableism, sexism and again microaggressions often heard by people with disabilities.
@trans.education
This account is run by multiple users. They aim to educate about trans related topics like pronouns, stereotypes and racism in LGBT spaces. It is important to hear about trans experiences from people in the community. That is often hard to find in mainstream media, so check out this account!
@maekaewoods
Maekae Woods shares about intersectionality between race and many areas such as mental health, trauma and poverty. She also has a great series where she asks her white friend questions about black culture.
There you have it! Those are five TikTok accounts you can follow right now to learn more about different cultures.
This is day 8 of Better Speech and Hearing Month. Thanks for reading! If you missed the first seven days, click here to check them out.
Come back tomorrow to learn more about cultural sensitivity as an SLP. For more cultural sensitivity tips, make sure to subscribe to my SLP Survival Newsletter!
