**How The Internet Is Supporting Creators, Connections And Coping During COVID-19**
New TikTok Feature Helps Creators Fundraise For Charities. TikTok launched a new feature that allows creators to raise funds for their favorite charities by adding a sticker to a video or live stream. The donations, which are powered by charitable fundraising platform Tiltify, are in support of organizations like the CDC Foundation and No Kid Hungry. “We’ve been impressed and heartened by the selfless steps our community has taken to help each other, and now we’re excited to be able to give our users another way to make a positive impact,” said TikTok U.S. Head of Product Sean Kim.
Facebook Helps Artists Monetize Virtual Gigs. Included among a series of announcements about its various platforms, Facebook announced that users will be able to integrate Facebook Live for online events and add the ability for Pages to charge for access to these performance events. The announcement is helping to address the financial needs of artists during the surge in live streaming as a result of COVID-19.
Tech Supports Ramadan Traditions Across The Globe. Just like with Easter and Passover, online platforms are helping Muslims worldwide continue with their Ramadan traditions during the COVID-19 restrictions. Several organizations are running e-learning courses or other speaker series so that Ramadan’s “tradition of reflection and knowledge sharing continues.” Many families are also planning virtual iftars in lieu of time together with family.
YouTube Will Stream “We Are One” Film Festival. Closed movie theaters and forced cancellations of film festivals such as Cannes and Sundance have inspired a virtual “We Are One” global film festival to take place starting on May 29 and lasting for ten days. More than 20 film festivals are set to collaborate and stream their showcasings of movies for free on YouTube. Viewers asked to donate to the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.
Sesame Street Helping Families Cope With Covid-19. Sesame Workshop announced an expansion of its “Caring For Each Other” initiative designed to help children and parents navigate the current issues related to COVID-19. The new resources feature classic Sesame Street characters, and the content is aimed to address challenges for children such as missing friends and family, keeping a social distance, and dealing with uncertainty.