If you’re a teenager, you most likely have TikTok on your phone, and if you have TikTok, you may have seen the viral ‘watermelon’ filter circling the app. The filter is titled “Filter for Good” by TikTok creator Jordan Lousie. In a viral video posted on November 7 with 9.2 million views, Lousie claims that all revenue from using this filter that she has made will go directly to supporting the people of Gaza during the Israel-Hamas War. In her video, she explains that Tiktok has an ‘Effect Creator Rewards’ program, which gives revenue to an effect creator per every use. The watermelon filter has already had 5.5 million uses since it was released last week, gaining 2 million in the previous two days. The filter is simply a drawing–online game where the user collects seeds with watermelon. The filter is made to be very simple and easy to use, and millions of TikTok users post videos of them using it to encourage others to use it. The filter is of a watermelon because watermelon is a significant symbol for Palestinians; it matches the colors of the Palestinian flag, symbolizing unity. It is currently unclear how much money Lousie has made from this filter, but it is estimated with the data being $1,400 for a filter used per a million videos, she has likely made around 7,700$ on today’s date (11/13/23). However, this filter is growing fast and will probably double its uses in the next few days. The concern is that there’s no way to prove if the creator’s integrity is valid and if she has good intentions on what she is doing with her money from the filter, but millions trust Louise that she is a reliable creator. 

Does it almost seem dystopian? How, in modern-day times, can children ‘allegedly’ help donate to those in crisis during the war with a TikTok filter? 

Update: The filter now has 6.5 million users (11/15/23), gaining another million users in only two days. Millions of people want to help those living in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas War. After this War began/resurfaced on October 7, 2023, a little more than a month ago, 0.5% of Gaza’s population has been killed due to the tragedies of the war. That is 11,000 people in only 39 days in Gaza alone. Tragically, 40% of the deaths in Gaza in the past days are children, due to Gaza’s population being around 50% of those who are under 18.

Final Update: the filter has maxed out on its funds, reaching 14,000 dollars on November 16. Lousie states, “This just shows the power of social media and the power of it to do good.” The creator claims that all of the funds will go towards humanitarian aid to help those living in Gaza during the distressing time of the Israel-Hamas War. After the complete success of Lousie’s filter, many other creators on Tiktok were inspired to make their own filters to continue donating to those in Gaza.