'Why I spent my university fees on Somali TikTok battles'
31 October 2024 Share Save Jack Goodman, Bushra Mohamed & Fauziyya Tukur Global Disinformation Unit, BBC World Service & BBC Trending Share Save
BBC
Scrolling through Zara’s transactions shows she has spent thousands of dollars on TikTok. Zara, not her real name, is in her 20s, lives in the US and has Somali roots. She became obsessed with the platform’s live battle feature - which sees two influencers verbally spar and sometimes mock each other as they solicit money from their followers to win the bout. She would later discover there is a much darker side to these games and has shared her story with BBC World Service. The battles are popular with TikTok users across the world but the premise of the Somali game is different because the influencers on either side often represent a Somali clan and sometimes trade insults that can descend into vitriol. It is known as the Big Tribal Game and tens of thousands of people regularly tune in as the influencers play rap music that extolls the virtue of their clan, with lyrics that praise the bravery and beauty of their people. An event we watched on a Saturday night in October was a typical example: there were two influencers on a split screen.
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