Before you say that I think I have “a Ph. D of maturity” because I won’t download Tik Tok, first hear me out. No, I do not think I am above Tik Tok to download it nor do I disagree that the content is funny, however, I do believe that the app is damaging and problematic in its own way.
I first want to start with a disclaimer that the information I outline below comes from a video by Luke Alexander on YouTube titled “Why Tik Tok is Toxic for Teens”. This video is really well composed and is what gave me the inspiration and clarity about this topic and my feelings around it. I could not quite place my finger on why I did not want the app, and once I began using my Instagram Browse feature more (where coincidentally, a lot of Tik Toks are uploaded to) did I begin to feel drained from the content. This video also gave me insight on the inner workings of the app that I was unaware of. While I do not have the app, I have watched my fair share of Tik Toks (Toks? Let’s call them Toks) and have a basic idea of the content and ways the app works. The Toks take up the whole screen, inhibiting the ability to notice how much time has passed while on the app. The content users consume is also constant – there’s no end, and the content is not picked by the user either. While this allows for content that the user will probably like based on their interactions, it can also cause content that could be triggering for some users that is not filtered by Tik Tok. This has caused issues in the past with the app, however, not much action was taken to mitigate this damaging content (this includes the eating disorder community and racist videos under a guise of “dark humor”).
While Tik Tok has lots of criticism across many different platforms, my personal critique is really with how the app developers (or whomever is running Tik Tok) lack of intervention with these videos. Many of them are racist, misogynistic, sexist, and the glamorization of eating disorders on the app. While the content and app are extremely addictive due to it’s set-up, the content produced is not mitigated enough and is sometimes certain content is rewarded that should not be. While some creators of this hurtful content have experienced repercussions from their actions, many others have slipped through the cracks. This, along with the content that is recommended which can cause people with lower self-esteem (if someone is only seeing conventionally attractive people) the image that is sent to them is not positive. Even I without having Tik Tok have experienced this loss of self-esteem because of stumbling across video after video of attractive people. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this content, the videos produced with the exercise community (to an extent) and further the eating disorder community on Tik Tok are extremely damaging. People who struggle with these thoughts cannot screen videos prior to them playing, and thus there are no disclaimers that can warn users of the content they are about to consume.
Although for my own mental health and clarity I will not be downloading Tik Tok anytime in the near future. While I understand the hype and respect the users creating funny, relatable, and original content being unable to screen and choose the content I see is undesirable to me. This, alongside their business practices, make Tik Tok problematic in my opinion. Yes, the intent of Tik Tok probably was not to create an app that seemingly promotes problematic and racist, sexist behavior, but it also does not condemn it – and that doesn’t sit well with me.