SOCIAL MEDIA DIPLOMACY: HOW TIKTOK SHAPES YOUTH POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Abstract

Envoys, treaties and press briefings were the means of diplomacy. It also occurs with 15-second video clips and borrowed sounds today. The current article explores the impact of the short video platform TikTok on two spheres that tend to be studied separately, namely, among young people the political engagement of young people and the behaviour of international relations. Based on digital diplomacy research, the study of youth civic participation, and recent journalism and survey research, I contend that TikTok functions as a common political space where citizens, governments and platform owners all strive to influence. Three findings emerge. First, TikTok makes it easier for youth to express themselves politically, yet it encourages an emotional, humorous, and imitative approach to politics over one that is more deliberative. Second, from an international perspective, states and other actors use the platform as a space for public diplomacy, propaganda, and covert influence, as witnessed by the Ukraine and Gaza wars and by the annulled 2024 Romanian election. Third, the platform has itself become a diplomatic issue: who owns it, who controls it and how it is regulated is now subject to negotiation between governments. Implications for diplomats, educators and regulators are presented, and future research is suggested at the end of the article.