Since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, the World Health Organization (WHO) had begun working with TikTok and Snapchat to reach out to the younger audience. The point of doing so was to battle misinformation by providing the correct message and information via social messaging apps because teenagers use these apps more frequently.
The digital solutions manager of WHO, Andy Pattison, said that false information “outperform the truth on every single subject”, implying how far and how quickly they spread.
The WHO attempted to combat falsehoods and with science-based messages through these mobile apps, according to The Star.
Aleksandra Kuzmanovic, the WHO’s social media manager, said the organisation had also established a presence on TikTok and Snapchat during the Covid-19 pandemic because most of its followers on previous platforms were in the 25 to 35 age bracket.
“On TikTok and Snapchat, we are now reaching audiences that are much younger. It was important for us to communicate with teenagers how they can protect themselves.”
“We are a science-based organisation that has serious information and TikTok is a platform that is perceived as funny – people share funny videos and information,” said Kuzmanovic.
She then revealed that the challenge of this project was to convey scientific and educational messages via a fun platform like TikTok.
Here is the latest TikTok video uploaded by WHO three days ago, suggesting the young audience to spend time at home to protect their family members.
@who What will you do at home? And to protect who? #StayHome #ProtectYourHero #covid19
Other than instilling the message of staying at home to save lives, WHO had also made educational content like this:
@who How do #VaccinesWork?
Just when we thought this was all WHO was going to do, they had also come up with a TikTok Challenge — The #ThanksHealthHeroes Challenge. In conjunction with World Health Day, the young audience was challenged to “tell the world about a nurse or a midwife” to whom they were personally grateful for.
@who It’s WorldHealthDay! Join us in celebrating #healthworkers today! Take a minute to say ThanksHealthHeroes!
As for their Snapchat account, it looks something like this:
They have provided quizzes for Snapchat users as well, making myth-busting more dynamic than just reading facts out of their Myth Busting web page!
What do you think of these approaches by the WHO? Do you think the young audience will appreciate it?
