The Power Behind the Screen

Mar 21 , 2026
By Kidist Yidnekachew

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Online users rallied behind a single creator, turning a personal appeal into a global trend. The scale of engagement forced recognition from a high-profile digital figure. This moment illustrates the strength of collective action in the digital age. Despite this, similar mobilisation is rarely channelled toward pressing societal issues. The outcome exposes the gap between visibility and tangible change.

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I was scrolling through TikTok the other day when I came across a video from Adonay. By now, most of you know exactly who he is, the creator who took home the "TikToker of the Year" award in late 2025. But this specific video felt different. It was an appeal, directed at Dylan Page.

For those who aren’t plugged into the platform's global news cycle, Dylan Page, a.k.a News Daddy is a titan of the digital age. With a staggering 18.1 million followers, he has become a primary news source for Gen Z and Millennials globally. He doesn’t just report the news; but engaging and interactive.

Adonay’s video was a plea for help. His account was facing a ban, or was already in the process of being restricted, and he reached out to Dylan, hoping the international creator would cover his story and help him out.  I’m watching this after the dust has settled and the "Adonay effect" has already gone global, but seeing the sequence of events is nothing short of fascinating.

What happened next wasn't just a win for one creator; it was a masterclass in national mobilization. Dylan Page didn't just "decide" to make a video about a creator from Ethiopia. He was essentially forced to. He was tagged so many times, in so many comment sections, and across so many threads that his notifications likely became a sea of green, yellow, and red. He reached a point where he simply could no longer ignore the demand.

When Dylan finally released his video about Adonay, he said something that should make every one of us pause and reflect. He noted that Ethiopians possess almost unmatched ability to mobilize their collective force to achieve a goal. He recalled a similar phenomenon when the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) saw its major milestones.

It was a lighthearted comment, but it carried a profound truth: When we decide to stand together, we are an irresistible force.

In the end, the collaboration worked out for everyone. Adonay gained international visibility, and Dylan’s follower count continued its climb toward the 20 million mark. But as I watched this play out, I couldn’t help but think: What if we directed this same "swarm intelligence" toward solving our daily struggles?

If we can collectively "force" a global influencer to pay attention to our cause, imagine what we could do for the Ethiopian mother who can’t pay her children's school fees, or a skilled graduate but lacks the "connection" to find a job.

We got the digital infrastructure and the community spirit to move mountains and we need to apply that same intentionality to lifting one another up.

Imagine a social media landscape where, instead of just tagging celebrities, we plea for medical assistance, and instead of just "liking" the post, we create a chain of micro-donations where everyone chips in just a few Birr we could settle a hospital bill in hours.

This conversation feels particularly timely. We are currently in a unique spiritual window where the Great Lent (Abiy Tsom) and the Ramadan fastings are happening simultaneously. In Addis Abeba and across the country, millions are in a state of reflection, prayer, and heightened empathy. But I believe we should refine how we practice that charity. Often, we give what we have "extra" the clothes we no longer wear, the leftovers we don't need. While those gestures are kind, they aren't always what the recipient actually requires.

True intervention means giving someone what he needs; even if it’s something we value ourselves. If a person is facing eviction, they don’t need a bag of old t-shirts; they need rent money. If a person needs medical treatment, cover their medical bills, not hand them out a pair of shoes. When we help in a way that directly solves a crisis, it ceases to be "charity" and becomes something much more powerful: it becomes a "divine intervention" through human hands.

Social media is often criticized for being divisive or a place of vanity. But the Adonay-Dylan Page incident proved it is also a powerful tool for justice and visibility. We should use our platforms to create a "chain of kindness."

I envision a digital space where a user can comment on what they need, a lead on a job, a specific medication, or advice on a business venture and another user, seeing it, makes it happen. Not for clout, but to pay it forward.

We have the numbers. We have the unity. We have shown the world that we can dominate the digital conversation when we want to. Let’s take that same energy and turn it inward. Let’s use our "tags" to build bridges, our "shares" to create wealth for each other, and our "likes" to validate the humanity of our neighbors.

If we can elevate a TikToker to the world stage, we can surely elevate our community to a place where no child goes hungry and no talent goes wasted. It’s time we used our collective strength for the most important project of all: one another.

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PUBLISHED ON Mar 21,2026 [ VOL 26 , NO 1351]

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