The joy of science: Digital storytelling initiative focuses on TikTok possibilities

It’s easy to think of social media apps such as TikTok as time-wasters, a distraction from meaningful work or an avenue for misinformation. For some content creators, however, the short-form video platform is an optimal way to share the joy and wonder of science with new and younger audiences.

Harpur College’s Digital Storytelling Initiative spotlighted the possibilities of TikTok during a recent series of events. The initiative’s goal is to encourage and train faculty in the adoption of new technologies in the classroom, from podcasts to social media, explained coordinator Chelsea Gibson, also director of Binghamton Codes.

Feb. 23 and 24 included a discussion of science communication and social media algorithms with content creator Astrid Lundberg, who also participated in an Evolutionary Studies lunch discussion of viral videos and evolution. Events concluded with a panel discussion of science communication on TikTok, featuring Lundberg, @OddPride on the platform; Gabrielle Cerberville, who posts as @ChaoticForager; Lena Vincent, known as @Astrobiolena; Molly Edwards, who posts under @Science_IRL; and Ottilie Cooper-Ohm, known as @Ottilie.edu.

Binghamton University doctoral candidate in biological sciences Theresa Kadish played an important role in organizing the events. The initiative’s graduate assistant, Kadish herself is a TikTok content creator.

“It feels like TikTok is an extension of the best thing about universities: You’re getting the best lectures from the best teachers with these bite-size bits of information that are fascinating,” Gibson said. “That’s when the internet feels like a gift.”

Edwards and Vincent are working scientists; the former earned a doctorate in biology from Harvard University and runs Science IRL Productions, LLC, a science communication consulting business, while the latter received her doctorate in astrobiology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and is currently a postdoctoral fellow at NASA.

Lundberg, Cerberville and Cooper-Ohm, however, come to science communications solely through their own interests. Cerberville received a master’s degree in music from Western Michigan University, although her TikTok channel is dedicated to foraging in nature, with an emphasis on mycology (the study of fungi) and holistic ecosystem awareness. Lundberg received her bachelor’s degree in liberal arts with a concentration in music composition from Sarah Lawrence College, while Cooper-Ohm recently received her bachelor’s degree in IT innovation from the University of Nebraska – Omaha.

“It is exciting when people spread academic ideas to a wide audience who are not professors or researchers, but regular folks who become public intellectuals due to their curiosity and charisma,” said Professor of Anthropology Joshua Reno.

Sharing interests

Many of the panelists became involved with TikTok accidentally; several cited downtime during the pandemic as a factor.

Cooper-Ohm originally started a joke account in which viewers could ask her questions and she would provide blatantly wrong answers. She then started an alternate channel with the correct answers, which proved more popular.

“When school started up that semester, I was on a scholarship that allowed me to take a lot of classes that I wouldn’t normally have, like fire science, linguistics and art history,” said Cooper-Ohm, participating in the discussion from Uzbekistan, where she is teaching English on a Fulbright. “All of a sudden, I had this platform to share them.”

Although a scientist, Edwards enjoyed the performing and visual arts during her undergraduate years. Working as a lab technician for a few years before graduate school, she found herself yearning for a creative outlet. She started Science IRL on YouTube, continued creating content through graduate school and added TikTok during the pandemic.

Vincent doesn’t remember why she decided to make a three-minute video about creating PowerPoint presentations late in the summer of 2021, after lurking on the platform for months. But the post blew up, garnering half a million views. That led to a multi-part series on creating scientific presentations, and then astronomy-related topics.

“It’s such a generalist platform; there’s so much potential to reach audience members who might not otherwise be able to access high-quality science communication,” Vincent said.

Cerberville’s TikTok posts began as a way to share her lifelong love for foraging. When readers became increasingly engaged with her content, she realized that they had misconceptions about plants and fungi.

“A large part of what I started doing was systematically breaking down some of those misconceptions so that people could interact with nature in a safer way, and so people could feel more empowered to eat food from outside,” she said. “I was able to relate to people in language that they could understand.”

In a sense, coming at science from the outside benefited both Cerberville and Lundberg as communicators. A liberal arts background also helped in that they were exposed to a wide array of academic reading and writing.

To attract viewer interest, It helps to have the wonder of a child, which is something Lundberg came to appreciate as an elementary school substitute teacher. While her own education focused on music, she has a passion for paleontology and evolutionary biology, and describes herself as “a dinosaur kid who never grew up.”

“I’m really conscious of my position as someone who is not an academic expert on any of the things that I talk about. I try really hard to make it clear where my knowledge comes from and where my knowledge does not come from,” Lundberg said.

‘Find your nerds’

TikTok and Instagram are particularly good ways to reach younger audiences, and the short form can spark creativity, Edwards noted.

But there are drawbacks, too; content creators have only a few seconds to spark viewers’ interest on TikTok before they move on, Lundberg explained. A lack of engagement means that the platform’s algorithm will then show the video to fewer people.

Short-form videos also make it difficult to convey nuance, which makes it all too easy to convey complicated ideas inaccurately. That’s a very real concern for Cerberville, since foraging can be dangerous; because of this, she chooses her subject matter carefully.

“Not only do I need to make sure that, within 60 seconds, somebody gets a really good introduction to a plant or a mushroom to the point where they could actually identify it, but I also need to build in this nuance of, ‘Hey, this is edible in this situation, or this part of this plant or mushroom is edible,’” she said. “I can’t count on the fact that someone is going to watch a second video about this.”

Another drawback: Interactions with strangers online can be unsettling, particularly for women, who face added scrutiny over their appearance and mannerisms, the panelists acknowledged. Content producers need to have thick skin and be comfortable with using the block button.

Looking to make a stand-out TikTok? It helps to have a narrative in mind before you start recording, and think of a video as having a beginning, middle and end, Cerberville advised. Enthusiasm is infectious, and content creators need to make a realistic assessment about where the video might become boring, panelists said. Plus, personality matters more than polish, and a little bit of chaos or humor can also get people watching.

“Never apologize for joy, especially if you’re a person who presents as female; we do so much apologizing for being excited, being joyful, being nerdy about something,” Lundberg said. “Just be nerdy. You’ll find your nerds if you do that.”