SeanMcDowell.org
“Dad, you need to get on TikTok.”
My 16-year old son spoke these words to me when the quarantine hit in March. When I asked why, he simply said, “Because that’s where students are. If you want to make an impact, start making videos.”
So, I started an account.
TikTok has become one of the most popular apps for students. Essentially, it allows you to post 1-minute videos of dances, pranks, or anything else that might entertain others (FYI: There are privacy concerns given its ties to China that you will want to navigate).
I have made a few fun videos that involved pranking my kids, dunking at 43-years old, and giving a gift of Jordan’s to a young man who has become like an adopted son to our family. I even made a silly video with my neighbor (which involves a toolbox that looks like a Thor hammer), which has 230,000 views.
Part of the fun is that my son and I do videos together.
Most of my videos are on apologetic topics, such as the following:
Haters have certainly come out to criticize. That’s expected. Sometimes I engage, but often let others jump in. There have also been some open-minded people who have left comments asking for further resources. A few have watched my YouTube videos on apologetics and picked up copies of my books. Many have shared the videos with others.
Overall, I try to shoot one quick video per day. It probably takes me 10-15 minutes total. Some people have already created apologetic-type material for TikTok, such as this 16-year old girl (@illianagordanya) who “translates” material from John Lennox, Ravi Zacharias, and other apologists. I also came across a Chaldean Catholic priest (@father_simon) who does a nice job articulating and defending his views.
Here’s the bottom line: TikTok presents an opportunity for apologists to make a difference. If you’re interested, here’s my advice: Find your niche. Be creative. Stick with it. Be wise. Learn from others. Have fun. And tag me if you join, so I can follow you back.