Well I have to say this is not what I was expecting when I opened up my FYP on TikTok this evening.
TD Simon Harris has become the latest politician to join the social media platform in a bid to "use it as a tool to keep in touch" with the people of Ireland.
The first video popped up on TikTok on Wednesday 24th March showing the Minister for Further & Higher Education, Research, Innovation & Science in the Irish Government introduce himself to the new platform.
https://www.tiktok.com/@simon_harristd/video/6943238414284147974?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESMgow7cpcCE%2BlJ3DCt%2F51NgarddY2MwXuzJuX0uf%2BggMuAjZumbbR3uOAzQ0iMw67O9uUGgA%3D&language=en&preview_pb=0&sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAB-KbASpX8RJjcAu88kz1coaIyMfvaUVaFLshrcdVIta9XpqODmTWroJPySjCVEl4&share_item_id=6943238414284147974&share_link_id=977DB84B-AC3F-4519-B807-1FD5327EEEB3×tamp=1616616821&tt_from=whatsapp&u_code=d3dg874dgllkjk&user_id=6631280902553518086&utm_campaign=client_share&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=whatsapp&source=h5_m
"Hey everybody, I've finally taken the plunge and decided to join TikTok.
"Not sure I know quite what I've let myself in for yet but looking forward to learning how to use this and use it as another tool to keep in touch with you, keep you up to date, share a few insights and views"
The video has amassed over 60 thousand views and 8 thousand likes in four hours with over a thousand people sharing it elsewhere.
Seemingly on a roll, Harris got the ball rolling with his video count on the app posting another video to the soundtrack of Rihanna's Work.
https://www.tiktok.com/@simon_harristd/video/6943264954904546565?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESMgow4ppikdnHhE0677Zo6R2BAtFtH53cfrsJtbdaWRWQMfTiz3%2Fo1U%2FA5HrrahGbazTyGgA%3D&language=en&preview_pb=0&sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAB-KbASpX8RJjcAu88kz1coaIyMfvaUVaFLshrcdVIta9XpqODmTWroJPySjCVEl4&share_item_id=6943264954904546565&share_link_id=98BD5598-5B32-45F9-9A04-4FC71DBF941A×tamp=1616616914&tt_from=whatsapp&u_code=d3dg874dgllkjk&user_id=6631280902553518086&utm_campaign=client_share&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=whatsapp&source=h5_m
Twitter users have started to spot Minister Harris on their 'For You Pages' and have taken to social media to voice their opinions.
I feel like as a nation we're not talking enough about how Simon Harris has a tiktok account & spelled it TicTok in the caption of his 1st video
— niamh (@FlaminDeValera) March 24, 2021
Em, so I have just learned that Simon Harris has joined TikTok and has come up on my ForYou Page.
I usually only like funloving grandmas and moms pages so not really sure what happened...https://t.co/BdKakuT4bj— Olive O'Connor 💛 #ProtectDontInfect (@oliveblogs) March 24, 2021
