AMMAN — With his simple filming, serious facial expressions,
unique character, and hilarious content, Abdullah Tahhan’s short videos have
gained considerable attention locally and regionally.
اضافة اعلان
The 19-year old may seem similar to any other rising
influencer on social media, but the talented young Jordanian paved his way to
fame through his realistic clips, winning 1.3 million followers on the
video-sharing app,
TikTok, and thousands of followers on social media. He now
has over 22 million likes on TikTok.
Beyond his 22 million likes on TikTok, his videos were and
still are being shared on other platforms, including Facebook, Messenger,
Instagram, YouTube, and even WhatsApp.
A January report showed that out of the 10.24 million people
in Jordan, 6.3 million are active social media users, according to
DataReportal, which also noted that in Jordan, there are 5.5 million Facebook
users, 3.2 million Messenger users, and 2.7 million Instagram users.
Tahhan’s two video series “What is it like to live in an
Arab house” and “(Silly) Things we used to do when we were younger” are amongst
those that have gone viral.
Being an “observer” and a detail-oriented person made him
the perfect fit for such audiovisual content. “Besides making videos that
entertain people, I wanted my content to represent audiences’ lives and reflect
daily thoughts and struggles that are common yet not highlighted.”
“Relatability is the key. People enjoy what makes sense to
them and what they can relate to.”
Although the majority of his followers are Generation Z and
Millennials, older generations seem to also enjoy his sense of humor. “Folks
constantly tell me that when they send my videos to their parents or
grandparents, they actually seem to love my clips!”
When preparing a clip, Tahhan does not tell jokes or
determine when viewers should laugh, rather he waits for spontaneous reactions.
“People notice that it’s all about demonstrative acting and facial expressions
with minimum speech,” he added.
Adapting teasers was his secret to grabbing attention, and
shows his instinctive skills of marketing himself. “I give people the bare
minimum of me. My 20-30-second long videos hook viewers, leaving them with no
chance to get bored of me, as a presenter,” Tahhan said.
His simple technique and use of smartphones to film helps
the audience relate to his content — opposed to cinematic shooting that can
overwhelm an audience, he highlighted.
Tahhan, who studies dentistry at Jordan University of
Science and Technology (JUST), also exceled in Tawjihi (the General Secondary
Education Certificate Examination) with an admirable 94 percent average.
He started making videos at a young age, but the COVID-19
outbreak in 2020, and the boredom that followed the lockdown, convinced him to
get serious about videography after he found TikTok.
“One day, I grabbed my notebook, wrote my very first sketch
about a struggling doctor who graduated from online education — which sounds as
if I am making fun of myself,” he said. “Surprisingly, many people liked it!
And since then I started producing original content that represents my real
character, life, and diaries.”
The Jordanian student added that he also aims to utilize his
fame to help charitable organizations. “My followers can ask me for a
personalized video for JD20, in which the majority of the money eventually goes
as donations with aid of Oulo, (a fundraising website),” he explained.
“Focusing on the positive side … gives me powerful momentum
for further success,” he explained, adding that he hopes social media will
become a “blessing in the sky”, and lead to a career in media or even help him
promote a future dental clinic.
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