TikTok: Eating disorders, racism, censorship and distorted realities | Four Corners

TikTok is a phenomenally successful social media platform with more than a billion users scrolling through its endless feeds.
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But there is a dark side to the world’s most popular app and a major investigation has uncovered disturbing evidence about how the app operates.
A joint investigation by Four Corners and triple j youth current affairs radio show Hack shows how dangerous content is being served up to unwitting users with sometimes devastating consequences.
Some users accuse TikTok of operating an inherently racist feed that has seen people of colour and disability, effectively muted and marginalised for failing to meet the app’s view of perfection.
Central to the app’s success is data mining, which enables TikTok to harvest vast amounts of information, including facial recognition, to know anything and everything about its users.
Owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, security analysts warn that countries need to take the national security implications of data mining far more seriously and recognise what is going on behind the fun videos.
Read more: www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-2...
TikTok's full statement to Four Corners can be found here: www.documentcloud.org/documen...
#TikTok #FourCorners #documentary
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[@coleford6197]

“The Dark Side of TikTok?” TikTok IS the dark side.

[@beverleykorte1832]

True

[@beverleykorte1832]

True

[@delishme2]

👆 this

[@coleford6197]

@@delishme2 Loves

[@jackiestowe6987]

The darkest. It’s take your biometric information.

[@Venus-gn5oi]

“You can be yourself on TikTok” the greatest illusion. No one of those people are themselves. They’re all pretending…

[@OrganizationXIII]

And being rich while pretending

[@jshroud]

Oh..the Irony.💯

[@Venus-gn5oi]

@@OrganizationXIII Being rich at the cost of having to pretend who you are, we all know how long this can go well 🤷‍♀️ the only who truly is being rich in the end is their therapist.

[@brida5923]

Yes. It’s crazy. And addictive. I started using it during a time I couldn’t do much else. Now I’ve gotta get off. It’s been only 9 months and is very habit forming. I’ve got to delete it now! I’m older Gen X too. I knew better but still did it. It’s CRACK from China!

[@jshroud]

Like so many other Business Models before TikTok, more average people make money, however relative to the amount of people putting Content on TikTok, very few actually make Decent Money. Decent Money meaning enough to replace a FULL-TIME Job.😕 💡Kinda like AMWAY, selling DOOR TO DOOR Products…remember KIRBY vacuums, Encyclopedias, Health Products, etc.💡 🚨The Allure is the possibility of making Big Money while the Tradeoff is not only foregoing Real-World Job skills and Life Experience, but also PRIVACY and PERSONAL Information.🚨

[@arsewell]

Rory contradicts herself constantly. She talks about how nice & kind everyone is, how much she loves it, being creative, making more money than the majority of Australians for doing something she "loves" - - - then switches to how she's not really a person but a product, how lonely and depressed she is and now she's also left school. Can't she see the correlation?

[@kristenjohns8498]

Persons with brains that have not reached full development will struggle to make certain associations.

[@linhnguyenngoc7749]

She's young, maybe she only thinks it's two sides of the coin that seems acceptable instead of a correlation. Especially when her parent actively support her thought.

[@sarahblaquiere3121]

And she also says she dropped out of school to make Tik Tok videos... and now has eight hours of the day in which to do nothing but sit around being lonely.

[@fetchstixRHD]

@@sarahblaquiere3121: Yeah having read your post, I can't help but to think that managing education in that time would have been possible and a better option. Of course it's easy for me to say, looking at my school education with mostly a positive experience (in terms of education) and having not needed a lot of help for most subjects (whereas someone with learning disabilities may need much more effort). With regards to the OP though, isn't that most people with most things, especially "stars"? I often end up describing things in such a manner (especially things where there are big payoffs but a lot of "cost" to them!)

[@anonmouse15]

Acceptable losses, I suppose.

[@diemutha666]

We now live in an age where talentless hacks are called "influencers".

[@alexhotmale]

Lmaooooo and all their followers dream to be like them

[@nomadic_orthodox]

And earning more money than educated people.

[@hotdog7346]

They are societal parasites

[@yurioroku6983]

*5 Minute Hacks has entered the chat*

[@imeldamayer-taylor2783]

What a superficial and no substance world we live in.

[@melaniemunro6696]

that father is ridiculous 'we had 22 thousand people watching her in her bedroom' yes and a large proportion of those are pedos, stalkers and other assorted sexual predators so good luck with that. Letting your child quit school for a social media career is embarrassing at best.

[@ladyj6278]

and negligent at worst!

[@TheOpy83]

Yes!! Such an irresponsible adult!

[@ckwind1971]

And borderline abusive

[@melaniemunro6696]

@@ckwind1971 definitely exploitative too

[@peesda]

How is that even legal?

[@smanqele]

"We are not humans anymore, we are brand ambassadors". Jeeez, it's hard to find a more depressing statement

[@cosmic2096]

Narrcisist people they are sadly unproductive one's.

[@christinabriggs1782]

I thought the same thing. Unreal. Thank you China. America has become a sad and crazy world.

[@halloweenallyearround4889]

It's tragic. Poor Rory and every other person getting their mental, physical and emotional health wrecked due to apps. Specially exploited children and teens.

[@honeheke4554]

Elle Macpherson said something very close to that in the early 1990s. Everyone said she was a pioneer on a new path to being a strong, successful woman. Looks like all the TikTok haters are just people who just got old and bitter.

[@smanqele]

@@honeheke4554 I actually consume some tik-tok, there's great content in there. But BS is still BS, in any platform

[@vjcarter4657]

Sometimes I wish social media was never created :( I’m a child of the 70s and 80s and I’m becoming more and more nostalgic for the past as time goes on.

[@MinnieMouse-hb3bc]

Am sure we, are around the same age and I agree 100%.....what a load of vapid, uneducated little fools we've created.

[@vjcarter4657]

@@MinnieMouse-hb3bc Yes, quite unfortunate.

[@jaggae9]

I grew up in the 80s and 90s. Kids these days are missing out :(

[@rozchambers]

@@jaggae9 Same. I’m an older millennial, born in 1982 and things like this really make me cherish and be grateful for my childhood and teen years. No cell phones: you had to make plans to meet up at a spot at a specific time after school or get permission from your mom to talk on the kitchen rotary phone ( the only phone in the house) hanging on the wall before dinner. The cool kids had beepers or pagers but you still had to be organized and keep your word about meeting up. Social media back then was basically playing around or putting on shows with your friends/siblings in the wreckroom or backyard, making fake magazines, writing fake soap operas. There was real connection, creativity, and authenticity. My sister and I didn’t develop depression from needing the approval of 5 million strangers or get paid to make a rock band out of our Cabbage Patch dolls.

[@anniebanannie2592]

@@MinnieMouse-hb3bc 💯

[@crimsonclover9871]

"'I am a full time Tik-Toker,"....such a depressing statement. I'm so happy that I grew up without social media/smartphones/etc. I loved living my life with actual friends experiencing real things. Spending your life online isn't living. That's why the blonde Australian girl gets so low at times.

[@sle2979]

I think it's pathetic that so many people think they are a damn movie star. Social media is the most pathetic shit to ever come into existence!

[@taniaburton7559]

Pathetic is the word. What kind of generation or two has created these children so needy of acceptance?? And approval? And attention? You're right-soo sad. Is it a lack of hugs? Or, several generations of 2 parents working and single parent families. Seems like attention starvation.

[@justsmallstuff4994]

Totally agree

[@MR-nu2ew]

Movie stars are narcissists so they relate to them. Btw, what makes movie stars famous? They are just regular people like you and me, but people put them on some higher pedestal. Hollywood...TikTok...degeneracy.

[@11ozzielover]

@@taniaburton7559, it's human nature to feel the need to be accepted

[@jeffestrada6857]

Well said 👍

[@lauraduplessis295]

It’s absolutely insane now that someone can have over 5 million followers and not be heard of

[@nancydrew1882]

Plus whatever they showed of her content is just plain rubbish! Don’t know where this word is going.

[@JosephFuller]

Right? I met this guy at a cafe and he introduced himself and then paused as though he were expecting me to gush or something. I was like, should I know you? He said, I've got X million followers on Y. I don't actually remember. I replied, sounds cool man, keep it up, then I walked away.

[@beverleykorte1832]

Yes agree

[@SisterSherryDoingStuff]

or interesting.

[@SisterSherryDoingStuff]

or interesting...

[@ireshamaduwanthie7670]

Once I was working as a housekeeper for a family. There was this girl of 17 years old, who is super addicted to Tik Tok. I remember every day she is doing this Tik Tok videos. I didn’t care about any of that since it was none of my business. But the thing pissed me off was, to do these videos she change her outfits like 100 times and every time she change she will throw away her dresses all around the room, in bathroom and everywhere she is making this damn videos. And it was my responsibility to keep the house in order. All I know is this Tik Tokers are just people looking for attention desperately but in the other side they are just irresponsible, irrespective and time wasters. I hate Tik Tok with all my heart 😁

[@gliderarts3573]

tiktok= mental illness factory

[@nylex5206]

@@gliderarts3573 It IS the factory. The viewers and users are the raw materials, and the profit and ad revenue is the finished product.

[@gabbmalabor4919]

I am an engineer and a Tiktok user. I work 40hrs a week, have my own place and I have friends. 😂

[@nylex5206]

@@gabbmalabor4919 Ever heard of being able to tell the difference between generalization and specification?

[@notnow6946]

@@nylex5206 the fact that she is an "engineer" and can't tell the difference shows how doomed we are as a species. ...then again she is a Tiktok user so that's a better indication of her intelligence level lol

[@Mr.ShootMe]

I'm 23 and having never touched the app, this is painful to watch..

[@quelquun2018]

22 but I’ve yet to see the appeal.

[@justmorenoise]

Many people with actual lives don’t bother with this stuff. It’s sad that people have this sad life though. They seem okay mostly but it seems sad

[@mamejoe2043]

Then am not weird. I thought am the only one who is not using that app

[@puppylove422]

I've never touched it either. I hardly use iPhone too.

[@TheZaniQ]

@@justmorenoise I agree with you. I feel so fulfilled in life, while the people on social media may never feel that way.

[@bamidele7138]

“I think every young kids dream is to be successful online” That’s a no dawg That girls mentality is really sad

[@cosmic2096]

Exactly , they don't see how the other side of the world live , thier struggle and hardships . Reel life vs Real life

[@remulac6698]

Bunch of these people are getting killed, they become famous have no survival skills or body guards ,and yes is insane what this generation calls reality..much blessings brother

[@luludunnejesus]

@@cosmic2096 "reel life vs Real life" Love it 👍

[@xHeartHeartbreakx]

I think she's right though, I do think alot of youth feel this way. It is sad and harmful but I think she hit the nail on the head.

[@fryconntinumum6559]

yes its wrong but shes not wrong. kids dream of being a social media star thats why they post. its pathetic. they shouldnt be paid how they are, if you make good content on social media then good, you made the content. but kids making this kind of money is ruining them. it shouldnt be a career prospect it should just be for fun, take away the money and flexing and youll find more kids actually finishing school over just "ima be famous on the internet"

[@fransmaroki]

seriously, imagine being a young person being inundated with this garbage for most of your youth, instead of being out there building real relationships with people making real friends, 5 million followers and no friends. it just goes to show.

[@GodEmperorOfDune747]

Excellent point.

[@yolo-vl4wz]

I'm 16 and yeah... I don't have any real friends

[@eduardochavacano]

parents give kids the phone so they shut up like they get hit by tranquilizer gun.

[@GIOvy-oc8ew]

Indeed...👍

[@cordeliav3055]

Couldn't agree more!

[@filmsbynix]

I'm 24 and think its sad how our youth is so glued to their phones i had to train myself to stop being addicted to screen time and now actually try to live in the moment

[@nomoredream7689]

It's very hard though. We manage to recude our screentime but my friends don't. Constantly having their phones with them. Not talking to me but scrolling on ig and tiktok when they are at my home. Like why do you even come? To scroll in company? But tbh even my parents are addicted to their phones. Theyre not on tiktok and ig but still addicted to their phone. Even during meals the phone gets pulled out too often. How are your experiences on that? We are the same age afterall but maybe totally different worlds

[@filmsbynix]

@@nomoredream7689 totally relate! At work my coworkers will all sit on their phones during lunch and when my cousin age 28 came to visit me after an hour of talking he just pulled out his phone and scrolled on tiktok while I had left my phone in my bedroom. You definitely notice how much people around you are glued to their phones when you yourself no longer have those addictive apps. When I go out with my friends the only time I'd go on my phone is to let my parents know where I am for safety reasons. I also stopped taking photos of food going out because I have no where to post it. I've read like 20 books this year because I reduced my screen time when in the last 5 years I only read zero to 2 books a year

[@nomoredream7689]

@@filmsbynix your life really changes much without it. I mainly use my phone to watch documentaries or indeed to let my parents know where i am. Taking pics of your food is a waste of time unless it's a really special meal like for graduation or the last meal you had before somebody died. Are your friends working on reducing or still glued?

[@rawkrXbabee]

trust me its not every young persons dream to be an influencer thankfully there are many who are actually deleting social media and living tech free (relatively). there is some hope for the future

[@Dreabz617]

I’ve never been able to get into TikTok. I cant seem to get into the concept of short videos that are only a few seconds long. That’s why I’m here watching a documentary that’s almost 1hr long instead.

[@jasondaniels640]

🥴

[@williampan29]

Wow girl. You bave a good profile, can I know you more?

[@chowchichang2922]

Good on you Andrea …. Hopefully others will start deleting the stupid app and start learning about the real world and how we can circumnavigate wage slavery 😁

[@lilacswithtea]

Actually that's a good point about selection bias and how this video likely won't reach very many TikTok users 🤔

[@novemberday8277]

My feelings exactly

[@arielchubb2719]

The fact that Rory’s dad encouraged her to drop out of grade 11 for a “business opportunity” makes me feel like he wanted to gain off of his daughter. They don’t seem super educated to begin with, I hope Rory doesn’t regret her decision.

[@kiana9941]

I completely agree. He says school can always wait but in reality, it can't because once you're out of that education learning mindset it's harder to go back and she could have easily done online instead of completely dropping out.

[@empressbeaded]

Yes and didn't bother to implement a plan where she could finish her last yr. Ex. a private Tudor, distance learning etc.

[@losthope98]

Definitely. It seemed clear that he isn't properly concerned for even allowing her to miss so much school prior to dropping out.

[@kaseyprutti8448]

if that's what makes her happy she should be able to do it without judgement

[@melissafraser2190]

What about the fact that he is happy to have 5 million people watch her in her room.

[@user-ny9kc4lm6p]

She got 5 million followers? But I still didn’t know her. That’s the thing with social media it’s a deep ocean that’s just not worth diving in…

[@rdvrlrn]

A week ago, I deleted Instagram. I never had Tik Tok to begin with. You think you need it, but you really don’t.

[@whatrtheodds]

Yep I also deleted tictoc and insta. I see my boyfriend literally click on, scroll click off and click on again, off on off on. It's a complete brain hack.

[@kelsb6262]

@@whatrtheodds same 😭😢

[@cheruzaleming]

If you think life is tough, remember that someone out there is trying to make it on tiktok

[@kwhite749]

Thanks my dude. I need this.

[@yourbeautifulnightmare4657]

😂😂😂

[@franki7518]

😉

[@ellamayoxoxo9510]

😆😆😆👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@zubeidaahmed5341]

Wheeeew😂😂💯

[@nancydrew1882]

A dad commenting about how millions of ppl are watching his daughter in her bedroom is not creepy at all, huh?🥴

[@PraetorianAU]

Not when you don't actually parent. It just shows how disconnected these parents are from their kids.

[@beverleykorte1832]

🥵

[@laurensa.1803]

@@PraetorianAU An actual parent would support their children in getting a decent education. Not this temporary shit. It's like legal prostitution at most.

[@PraetorianAU]

@@laurensa.1803 Exactly. 100% agree.

[@NomadsHeartBlog]

@@PraetorianAU THIS IS SICK. Ughhhh.... A dad applauding the fact thousands of potential predators are creeping on his daughter... What world do we live in?!

[@brendal.b7968]

I dipped my feet into the Facebook, TikTok, etc., social pages for a short time. I found the content very cruel, mean spirited, threatening, often racially discriminatory and outright bigotted. At my age (not a teenager by any means and having a lifetime of experience) I found the content often affected my mood and mental health. If, with the years of raising children/grandchildren, working to support myself and family for over 40 years and having a lifetime of experiences out there in the world (both negative and positive) affected me so negatively, how can we expect teens and young adults with little worldly experinces to deal with this?

[@hello.6748]

I've been thru some shit, and yh I couldn't take it. Especially if you already have mental health issues, u fall onto that really depressing side of tiktok and its like a cycle u can't get out of, bc it makes u feel 'less alone' But rlly its just holding u back. I'm so glad I uninstalled it. And I never bothered with Instagram and all that bc bro, I couldn't understand how to use it-

[@BULLHOGBEATS]

They cant . We are at war.. and its gonna get bad prior to 2025 ..

[@owethumposwa6967]

This comment made me see that tik tok contributed to how I feel and see the reality...it was draining me mentally

[@owethumposwa6967]

​@Hello. I deleted tik tok I got better

[@Dearest_Kenyetta]

I got off of social media almost 2 years ago. My life is so much more peaceful now. Most of these people will have an identity crisis when all this stuff falls apart.

[@bruggeman672]

Proud to be uneducated. That's probably the saddest thing I've ever seen. That kid is in for a shock when her fifteen minutes are over.

[@bruggeman672]

@·Mephistopheles · the same could be said of all of us, it's been going on a lot longer than most people think.

[@GetH0NEY]

Her bank account will cushion that shock quite a bit lol. Thanks to capitalism people see money as equivalent to self worth.

[@bruggeman672]

@@GetH0NEY sad but true. Though likely the money won't last, particularly with dad helping himself, so there's that. Great username btw

[@ellamayoxoxo9510]

If she saves and invests her money…maybe not 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@Not_a_number_]

Not if she invests well and sets herself up for not having rent or mortgage costs in life.

[@TheMigityMac]

This dad is comparing her to Elton John? Wow. Not really the same.

[@beyourself2444]

He’s a wannabe too

[@kwhite749]

That was defs drawing a long bow hey lol.. Now it's only a matter of time until Dad's managing her Only Fans account.

[@watster1979]

He is comparing the audience 🤦🏻‍♀️duh

[@kwhite749]

@@watster1979 we know...duh

[@alanjones9093]

Ha

[@krnwyldchild69]

Facebook, Deleted, Instagram, Deleted. Snapchat, Deleted. Tik Tok, Deleted. Twitter, Deleted. Suddenly I feel like human again.

[@dr.downvote]

“Why do I have no friends…” A school dropout successful tiktoker asked herself in a car. Of course she never went to school where people socialize at younger age but ended up in TikTok and she has the audacity to say that these people in TikTok considered her as family!

[@LadyCoyKoi]

That is why it is important to stay in school or have a competent, certified teacher to come to your house to teach you.

[@puppylove422]

because you didn't go to school to make friends. Or, You didn't engage in people at school if you went to school, you just stayed on tiktok.

[@puppylove422]

@@Ace11113 It is fun to know the basic premises of the world and crucial. I think they should have made her finish school and read a lot.

[@why-xr6lg]

I’m convinced idiocracy is the future. It all starts with people watching a screen for hours looking at these goons dancing.

[@nfsdude0125]

We're almost there. But that movie used to be funny. Not anymore.

[@isabelleb.3653]

True, but you should also note that these apps are designed to get you to spend hours on them. They’re literally tricking your brain (there has been lots of research on social media addiction if you’re interested). I think it’s a bit simplistic to blame people for their “idiocy” when we live in a very individualist society (at least in the Western World) in which people are isolated and are getting more and more obsessed with their smartphones.

[@jaggae9]

@@nfsdude0125 Yeah. Wall-E.

[@nfsdude0125]

@@jaggae9 Wall-E! Another fantastic example. Getting there, too.

[@halloweenallyearround4889]

We're already here.

[@oliverhardman3513]

I'm 24 and feel like a complete boomer, a thankful boomer though

[@MissChanandlerBong1]

Ok boomer. Boo yah! lol Just kidding mate. I've been "Ok Boomer'd" so many times I saw the opportunity to get some payback. 😄

[@suyogdani2702]

me too. For once I am genuinely happy that I am not on this app. No communist content blocking for me, thank you. I will happily be the boomer here :)

[@Beadacut_]

I'm 23 and I don't have it. :)

[@joelr.garcia377]

Lol I'm 23 and i feel dis to a personal note. Haha and well I'd say tik Tok is cancer in app form. Way worse than vine and other streaming apps

[@starquant]

Boomer or Generation X?. Boomers are those born after the second world war.

[@foxxycleopatra615]

Rory’s parents are so irresponsible. Encouraging their school age daughter to drop out of school for TikTok “fame” is one of the reasons the world is going to hell in a hand basket. Someone her age shouldn’t have her entire value based by likes but that’s what these apps are about and the minute that slows down these people feel worthless. The suicide rate of these young TikTok “stars” is tragic.

[@forecourtgoblin6521]

Rory: is 'showing' her 'real self' to the world Also Rory: 'you're not a person you're a brand' She's too young to understand this.

[@jmcc2275]

She still has the mind of a child unfortunately.

[@maybememory1]

Instagram does this as well. I looked up gluten free recipes, because I have celiac disease, and suddenly my feed was all waist trainers, extreme calorie restriction and pictures of either anorexic people who then built muscle (but still looked horribly underweight), or overweight to super thin. All my ads were then diet pills.

[@msmaria5039]

😬.

[@irmar]

I had a private conversation in FB Messenger with a friend who discussed with me her weight loss plan. From then on, all the FB ads were for plus sized clothes or exercise for weight loss.

[@maybememory1]

@@irmar That’s horrible. I really worry for really young people being manipulated like that!

[@lamia1715]

IG is another cancer that needs to be cancelled

[@JorgePetraglia2009]

maybememory : My dear, what you truly need is to turn off your phone and seek information from a real person; you know, one of those wearing a white rob with a stethoscope around their necks.

[@mayahasegawa]

"They treat you like your family" - wow, the concept and the value of family really changed.... and "you can show your real you" - really? So you don't need to put makeup, to make and remake the videos? And to look pretty, etc....? tsc tsc tsc....

[@Amanda-eh8zf]

Took the words right out of my mouth

[@gdc6614]

That's exactly what I said.

[@prodkang2597]

Exactly

[@vio3366]

Yes!! That's a dysfunctional family then 😅

[@Tech-geeky]

@@vio3366 😆

[@arsewell]

"I think every kids dream is to, uh, be successful online." Chilling.

[@ch4rmeen]

Exactly

[@justgugu8522]

My face: 🤨

[@fingeringdoggystyle5716]

been there done that now im banned

[@Cherrypie626]

Who’s going to tell them that we still need doctors, dentists, plumbers, firefighters, etc.? I’m a little worried for our future…

[@j.khuster2024]

I'm* alot worried..

[@priyankarao4156]

Deleting that app for good was the best decision I ever made. The people on that app irked me to no end

[@malikShoaib-fj6fj]

does Rory's dad realize that the way she is bringing money home is not sustainable and how vulnerable she is all the time by presenting herself to the world where she gets all the different types of comments about her looks, ideas, and the weird things she does to seek attention? what kind of world we live in? It is totally like living in a Truman Show. There is literally ZERO VALUE ADDED to people's lives when they consume such content in which the content maker is making faces and talking about the most useless and irrelevent stuff. This is not going to bring any healthy change or good to anyone.

[@JorgePetraglia2009]

Shoalb Khan : That dad sees her as a way out of poverty and he is more immature than his child.

[@TheAaronChand]

But who cares as long as she's making money and is happy who cares her father pointed out that unlike his generation the amount of money she makes is way more faster than getting a traditional job seriously who cares

[@jmcc2275]

She’s heading for Only Fans.

[@keirorin]

Tiktok had a big influence on me when I started developing an eating disorder. I was 21, fully aware that my ideals were wrong but trapped by my insecurities. I can't imagine how much worse it's affecting teenagers who aren't even aware that they're being fed garbage ideals.

[@aleatharhea]

"Full time tiktokers" (or even more cringeworthy, self-styled "influencers") will inevitably grow up, lose their youthful beauty, and realize they have no job skills just as they are being replaced by the next hoard of attention hungry children. An economy cannot sustain itself on advertisements on the channels of millions of people trying to "influence" one another. Someone has to invent things and build things.

[@liyuhe5250]

Ask scientist how much they earn and then ask bankers how much they earn😂. This is not new.

[@maxxy1113]

“You can show the real you” “We aren’t really people anymore” Which one is it?

[@linagervacio392]

The algorithm reads your activities and pushes videos customized for you. Eventually, the videos influences you to believe and behave a certain way. That's why trending content creators are called "influencers". Now, imagine what if the app company uses the algorithm to push a specific "thinking" to the general public to influence how the people will behave (i.e. vote). We are already seeing this being done. STEP 1) is suppressing perspectives they do not want you to see. STEP 2) would be to push specific contents to influence you. Social Engineering.

[@joanandreanoweyland57]

Yeah- wonder how Big Cheeto Face got elected.

[@pattygould8240]

@@joanandreanoweyland57 children don't vote. Murdoch is responsible for that particular issue.

[@lowlowseesee]

@@pattygould8240 children grow up then vote dummy hahaha

[@pattygould8240]

@@lowlowseesee your grammar is as impressive as your manners. Luckily the kids today are more internet savvy and well informed that their parents.

[@Phoenix8Rising]

Previously known as BRAINWASHING!

[@AveryWeinstein]

This is sad. I had an ED from 14-19. (I’m 24 this month.) It started before TikTok was even a thing. I couldn’t imagine being 14 and seeing TikTok. I feel it would’ve been so much worse.

[@Emma.Lou1]

What blows my mind is that they banned things that spoke out against racism but kept videos consisting of sexualization of people, and in several cases nudity. Utter insanity

[@thatstheguyoverthere]

7:05 "we aren't really people anymore, we're a brand, we're selling products"... that's said with such enthusiasm, which makes it even more of a scary thing to hear.

[@beverleykorte1832]

AGREE with you

[@KoffingOnion]

I'm generally against tik tok, but to be fair to it, the same can be said about KZbin. Or any interpretation of a celebrity. Its inhumane but it seems to be the cost of fame

[@dorian6225]

She’s an NPC.

[@mr.mrs.d.7015]

Because she has now become accustomed to this hyper reality, how depressed is she going to be when she ages and her following fades? Good job Dad and Mom for setting her up for an uneducated, dismal future. I worked in a similar industry and when it dropped off, having my degree to fall back on kept me from feeling like a failure and a loser.

[@Christa313]

Exactly. It’s teaching many young people that their only value lay in their outward appearance and the positive opinion of others. Youth fades and “fame” is fickle. It will be a crushing reality check for many.

[@St99785]

same story, different year.

[@beverlyledbetter4906]

My sister tried to talk me into starting a Facebook account, but I just don't want anything to do with social media!

[@misseiynck716]

Exactly. Her rise in fame was almost immediate and sadly her fall will be just as fast. I predict that in the near future we will have places - like drug rehab - that people just like this young woman will go for help. Not just help adjusting but problems that have evolved over time that can be attributed to social media infamy.

[@OrganizationXIII]

@@Christa313 people won’t remain beautiful forever. Remember looks fade

[@daftquai]

"It's so fun to go on that app and express your true self." That's a good one! 🤣

[@nouchka745]

So glad I don't even have these apps. Never been interested in it, never been someone who follows like sheep. Why torture yourself by having all these applications !

[@mrgadget1485]

Sad to see hundreds of millions of kids fall into insanity...

[@AcidOllie]

"You can show your true self", with filters and make up and editing?

[@millslou___2359]

Being authentic is not solely based on appearance.. you know that, but you just want to pick on an easy target to fulfil your own ego.

[@siateel6545]

@@millslou___2359 lol you're kidding right?

[@raquelf.1962]

LOL

[@arnowisp6244]

Call it expression. That's what she meant.

[@millslou___2359]

@@siateel6545 you’re just jealous boomers. Sad that kids not even half your age are making more money from their bedrooms than you ever will. Stay mad, we see you ;)

[@aminahreviewsstuff]

Imagine leaving school in the LAST year. Smh

[@qedqed110]

I am really impressed by the quality and intelligence of these responses. Having taught college for 20 yrs, I started to give up on independent thinking. Thank you all for bringing back my faith in humanity.

[@HT-rq6om]

Please, having taught college, you should know better than to believe that independent thinking is NOT what you learn there. That’s illusory.

[@stoltobot]

These people debase themselves to feel acceptance from others. It is so sad

[@taniaburton7559]

Watching instead of doing. Performing instead of living. This is insane.

[@crishhari5903]

Or people are just having fun and enjoying themselves.

[@pattygould8240]

How are they debasing themselves?

[@williampan29]

Pretty debased.

[@MarshasJourney]

They're making a lot of money though

[@amattu8347]

The dad comparing her audience to that for an Elton John concert. Well her viewers didn't have to buy an expensive ticket so...

[@Aims1502]

And he SOLD OUT!!! Holy crapoli! I’ve been on a live for a sec and then logged off don’t mean shit. Elton John is LEGENDARY

[@AndriaaLeoLove]

Doesn’t take much to make a child.

[@jonathanstempleton7864]

As a therapist, I see millions of future clients presenting with TikTok related issues

[@drumcorps0junkie]

Examples please, I need to be able to notice and understand what's going on around me.

[@luvelyjay]

I’m not a part of any social media platform. I realized early how unrealistic and artificial they all were and how dangerous they all can be to anyone who doesn’t have a strong mind. The fact that so many young people get their identity from these platforms says a lot about how far gone society has become. Parents have left the raising of their children to social media while they they do their own thing. The result is what we have today… Insecure, artificial, vain, and unhappy people living their lives through fictitious characters on social media. Just sad 😞

[@bladerubber]

Youre here part of us in YT comments- thats a social media platform,sweet cheeks !😚 But seriously....yes you're spot on in your analysis.

[@bruggeman672]

"I love myself" says the young woman seeking validation from strangers.... The irony is making it hard to breathe...

[@jitintilak1284]

and in the middle of all this, communist simply takes over .

[@bruggeman672]

@@jitintilak1284 we couldn't be that fortunate. Communism would be preferable to this capitalist nightmare.

[@jitintilak1284]

@@bruggeman672 basically with the help of Tiktok the China CCP are targeting the most vulnerable masses ,the teenagers and young generation. Tiktok trends is corrupting the mind of people .Just imagine Tiktok is not available on playstore anymore one day. Am pretty much sure mental illness case will rise which I again is mostly gonna effect the young generation,the generation which has the power to bring a change.

[@bruggeman672]

@@jitintilak1284 I get It, I just don't consider China a communist country, despite what they call themselves.

[@jitintilak1284]

@@bruggeman672 ok

[@spongygames]

"Literally everything you could think of, TikTok *have*." Literally everything you thought of, KZbin already has done.

[@neonurse97]

I thought I misheard her when she said that. Maybe she should have stayed in school.

[@CsabaTothMr]

I've heard that too. Maybe before dropping out of school she could have learnt some grammar...

[@XLindsLuvsPinkX]

So glad I’m not the only one that bothered. She could have also said “has” at the end.

[@samdasilva1914]

I heard that, cringed, then when I heard her father, it all made sense.

[@ddaagggg]

English isn’t my mother tongue, and I was like 😳😳😳 haha

[@j2174]

This sort of shadow banning, etc happens on every platform, especially KZbin.

[@sunlightheaded]

Her father's perspective scares me a little... it's nice he's being supportive but we all know how many things can go wrong for people who display their lives online. Especially for those who show vulnerability like she does. She needs to be protected too 😞

[@gaylamixon4075]

No it’s NOT everyone’s dream to be a success on tic tok

[@alexphoenix9208]

I detest social media.

[@popsiclestick]

@@alexphoenix9208 I got rid of all mine 3 yrs ago and it was the best decision.

[@alexphoenix9208]

@@popsiclestick I agree 100% KZbin is about as "social media" as I get these days.

[@alexphoenix9208]

@·Mephistopheles · Agreed.

[@prodkang2597]

She's so misinformed

[@mubeenraza9853]

I hate tiktok

[@DWN-024ShadowMan]

You, Me and millions of other people too.

[@stoltobot]

Unfortunately too many people don’t hate it

[@sierrachoco5271]

It's very repetitive, seen one seen them all!

[@IvelinaDobreva]

I can't believe that in 2022 we are still discriminating people because of the colour of their skin. This is incredible! 😞 All lifes matter, we need to be better one to another 🙏

[@lindsaychilders6927]

God, Rory is hollow inside. "We're all vain." Uhmm, no Rory. You'll learn one day this is shallow and empty.

[@divergence_tiffanyramos4337]

The young lady featured in this video who was being shadow band and harassed because the color of her skin is absolutely stunning. It never ceases to amaze me how cruel certain individuals can be to another person. How deplorable. Here's hoping she keeps her beautiful chin up and stands proud for who and what she is. May her future be bright and blessed.

[@fvfr6294]

Notice how few likes your comment got?? That's the world we live in...sad to say.

[@angelacook3680]

@@fvfr6294 I was just thinking the same. It's desperately sad 😔

[@divergence_tiffanyramos4337]

@MaryWall -A : I couldn't agree with you more she is lovely and her personality makes her even more beautiful.

[@divergence_tiffanyramos4337]

@@fvfr6294 : Unfortunately your right, but I have hope that maybe we can change attitudes and societal expectations to more positive viewpoints about ourselves and other's.

[@evilspiritchild]

She was harassed by very few comments, that is someone merely looking for attention. She knows full well how beautiful she is and capitalises on that, don't be so naive.

[@evlnachoz9814]

Facebook is just as worse. So many details about yourself been shared around to 3rd parties.

[@PeerlessUtopian]

Right.

[@babatundeonabajo]

Yes but ultimately it's what you signed up to. Facebook isn't a paid service so they make their money by selling your information. Always remember that if "you aren't paying for the product, you are the product".

[@cpj75010]

@Alex Gutierrez The US has the largest imprisoned population in the WORLD largely people of colour and Gutanamo Bay. All big state countries have problems its about the narrative you spin and who you listen to. Let's be independently minded rather than a sheep.

[@unknownninja4430]

it all sucks

[@Robint4460]

Yup. I wish the internet was never created. What a small ass world we have now.

[@arsewell]

Also, no, it's not the GOVERNMENT'S responsibility to "protect children's data" on an app they're not supposed to be on & only have access to because their PARENTS allow them to. I know the idea of a nanny government is popular in the UK & Australia (how's that working out for ya, BTW, Australia?) but responsible societies realize that parents should be raising their own kids, not the government. When you download the app, you DO give consent for them to collect whatever it says in their TOS which I doubt 99.999% of users have bothered to read. Parents - parent your own children! Get them off of social media or don't complain when they still live with you at 35 because of the multitude of mental illnesses they contract from it.

[@dennislacroix9962]

Don't like the App? Easy. Take your child's phone and delete it. If the child downloads it again, switch to a flip-phone. Don't expect an app to raise your children. That's your job as a parent.

[@ilsegonzaleze.8031]

When I see this, I just loose hope in humanity and realize that having no children is the wisest desicion. Damn... Where are we going to end up?

[@heviutza]

But that's an issue also, because people like you who see that this is not a good way to raise a child, should have children and educate them the "right" way and balance it out a little. Otherwise, if only tik-tok-rs will have babies, of course those babies will grow in the same way as their parents. Do you understand the idea? Trust me, I have friends with kids (from 4 years to 17 years old) and as long as the parent is not a social media freak, their kids aren't either (in most cases)

[@millslou___2359]

Sounds like the previous generations failed

[@millslou___2359]

Your generation

[@myprettygirl91]

@@heviutza sometimes you cant stop kids from doing what they want to do

[@andyjcoop]

Wrong mindset, I am having as many kids as I can, am raising them right and the world needs it

[@CSD221]

I feel sorry for this youth. I'm glad I was born in the 80s and lived a normal childhood without pretence.

[@One-Ring-To-Rule-Them-All]

Me too! I would definitely get caught in that stuff if I was younger but luckily we didn't even have a computer when I was a kid 😄😄😄

[@DavidDavisDH]

I'm glad that crap wasn't around when I was growing up. I was born in 1985, so I had a normal childhood and I feel sad for the kids these days.

[@PrettyGhostX]

I was born 81 and I don't have any social media, the only thing I have is a FB page who I haven't visit in over 10years. I find the social media world fake, I can't stand it

[@puppylove422]

YES! Those years really do sustain you throughout the years. even if you have struggles.

[@greggrachen1523]

born in 92 probably the last few years to be born before internet took over whole lives. even in middle school was when dial up started in mine & middle class schools and me and my sister would fight to get on AIM & myspace but there was still life outside of it. it was balanced(thinking back now, it was the dial up that saved us, wasn't on our phones 247, the internet was slow, having to take turns on the computer & mom yelling to get off the internet she needed to use the house phone for work😂) I think around 95 to be born was when you hit middle school & teenage years where it started fully taking over. I'm glad I got to be in the middle. the fun silly pictures my friends and I would post on myspace AFTER coming home from a long fun night out. and not staying in and fully being on the internet

[@Theoneandonlyflop]

It’s really sad how much money you can get just by doing a simple dance. And then the people who actually work hard in the regular work system get like a third of it- before this app people wanted to be lawyers or doctors or something that actually HELPS society. I’m a young person myself and I always hated TikTok

[@j.khuster2024]

👋👋👋👋 you give older people hope that not all is lost with younger generation. Thank you. Stay smart 💯✌️

[@anitahscorner]

Growing up, if I told my parents I was dropping out of school to do anything, I would be literally shadow banned

[@QueenCoCoaMocha]

Why "clean up your feed and report videos" JUST DELETE THE APP 🥴😬

[@passedtense436]

Right?!?! WTF kinda therapy is that? Take the whole ass phone away. If something is killing you, get it as far away as possible.

[@berngirl5624]

I'm guessing it's part of the therapy. This is something she needs to do on her own terms. She needs to start slow and see if she has the strength to make decisions for herself.

[@christinafidance340]

Well, just like an alcoholic can’t rid the world of liquor stores…. As adults, we don’t realize just how in-your-face TikTok is for young people. ALL her friends are probably on it so avoiding it altogether might not be as easy as it is for us…. Or even necessary. My entire feed is cat videos! Eventually, her feed can be something else entirely.

[@onceonly1111]

@@christinafidance340 exactly, for some people this is their primary social media account, and getting rid of it means cutting off contact with your friends.

[@fetchstixRHD]

@@onceonly1111: As much as I don't like or use social media, I would probably have struggled without it when I was younger. I barely had anyone around me. The time I got rid of most platforms was a time where I had someone close to me: though I would have lost it regardless, it would have been a challenge without the person close to me, and probably would have meant trying to find something else to not feel alone.

[@importantname]

If you lived permanently in Disneyland reality would be that every thing and everyone is always happy, dancing and singing: it would be the Truman Show.

[@beverleykorte1832]

True

[@ellamayoxoxo9510]

Truman show was such a good movie!!!

[@kolaadebayo1]

"Everyone's childhood dream is to be successful online" - it's the delusion for me

[@missquinn6325]

I pride myself on not having tiktok

[@Kbarboza94]

It’s so sad when she says “we are not people anymore. We’re a brand.” That really broke my heart.

[@puppylove422]

broken heart....eh, no sympathy. we have been through a lot as humans ... this is lame af. we are better than this.

[@intelcore4434]

PEOPLE ARE BUSY MAKING NON SENSE VIDEOS TO IMPRESS PEOPLE THAT THEY DONT LIKE TO FEED THEIR INSECURITIES, LACK OF ATTENTION AND CHILDHOOD ISSUES

[@zenl6668]

both lack of attention and childhood issues aren't their faults tho?

[@walsh5238]

What an isolated life. It’s the hit of the moment, but it will pass. You can never get high school years back.

[@__fedora___]

Feeling proud that I've never done a tiktok in my life, and will never ever!

[@heatherfeather9951]

It’s really creepy how the app collects data about your face.

[@kevinmorris9522]

"people care more about looks vs non-looks" 🤦 child you need to go back to school ASAP!!!!

[@xragdoll5662]

Kinda disappointed they didn’t mention the awful seizure challenge which was highly offensive to the point epilepsy charities spoke out about it and they (TikTok) tried to cover their tracks a few months later by adding a photosensitive feature. I never really liked the idea of the app and have never downloaded it. Never planned to either, such a waste of time ruining your eyes staring at your phone lol. I spend less than 24 hours on my phone in a week and it’s so sad to look around on public transportation and everyone’s eyes are glued to their phone and in some cases, a friend you’re talking to says “what” a thousand times because their phone is so important.. I really don’t get it. People rarely live in the moment anymore. /:

[@MidnightLawyer.]

"A place where you can be yourself". That's the lie of the century.

[@H3LLS3NT4SS4SS1N]

claire had really cool original earings! she seems like a sweet and intelligent girl, i hope she keeps getting the help she needs and continues to make progress away from her eating disorder.

[@beverleykorte1832]

Agree with you

[@missyd7120]

she did have lovely earings and i hope the sme as you as she seems like a lovely girl that deserves a great life not to be inflinced by tik tok etc and forced in to an eating disorder its a disgrace that this can happen so glad shes getting better may she continue to grow and be a sucess in the real world away from all the hate on that app

[@malbig2344]

intelligent????? not a word I would use to describe her.

[@roxanne8662]

@@malbig2344 why not

[@j.khuster2024]

​@@malbig2344 👋👋👋👋👋💯💯💯☝️✌️

[@roospooscreate]

Imagine leaving school and calling yourself a full time Tiktoker 🥴

[@monanoorch8699]

?

[@puppylove422]

yuck. I mean sitting there all day. how does it not get old.

[@Zen-cx5tc]

😂😂

[@puppylove422]

It seems really temporary! Like a huge fad. I would be really nervous to base my whole life’s income on that.

[@Lu-dm7rn]

Reading like that it sounds so funny! I choked with my own saliva 😂😂😂😂

[@victoriaisabelndongmele6629]

And the problem with us human is that we crave for so much validation and attention from people and that is a dangerous and sad way to live.

[@Helen_Magnus_]

Horrified isn't a strong enough word for how I feel right now. I want to slap Rory's dad senseless. I hope Rory's saved plenty of that TikTok money for the shrink she's going to need in 5-10 years time when she realises that her entire self worth is tied to the opinions of strangers on the internet.

[@abbraxxis5998]

3:00 5M people treat me like a family member, its so awesome 8:00 I'm so lonely, don't have any friends

[@alzie5798]

Lmaoo

[@weirdalpleasenoticeme8328]

For people watching and wondering what's so cool about a bunch of silly dance and makeup videos. They are only showing those type of videos on this doc. TikTok is so addicting to users because the algorithm chooses videos that YOU are interested in, without you having to search them. If you're interested in robotics and mechanics, you'll get a lot of those videos. If you're into growing gardens, you'll get those videos. If you're LGBT, you'll get a lot more LGBT videos than a straight person would. It is addicting. Can be informative at times. But the problem is you have to keep scrolling and scrolling to find those informative videos, and instead of pausing to research or even read a Wikipedia article, you're too addicted to scrolling on the app to stop. I loved tiktok for a long time, it definitely got me through early quarantine, but in the end it was making me more anxious, depressed, and socially isolated. Deleted it a few weeks ago and I don't miss it as much as I thought i would.

[@nataliashutilo795]

Well done! Very important to have control of your own life and action anything that you see and feel is not doing any good to you before its too late. Like any addiction it requires a good amount of will power to unplug and stay away long enough to get it out of the system.

[@irmar]

Well, KZbin does the same thing, doesn't it? And Amazon. It offers you recommendations based on what you recently saw.

[@weirdalpleasenoticeme8328]

@@irmar true. The difference is on KZbin, at least you click on which videos you want to watch. Then, those videos lead to other links. On tiktok, it's an endless stream

[@viksanbg88]

You are right. In my tiktok feed i do not have any dance videos, the problem is with children in the most cases. They are not grownups and they are watching a lot of stupid shit, that doesnt make sense at all. Children spending more than 10 hours watching a lot of videos creates patterns in their brain, that cannot be useful in the real world, so by any means after they grown up the real world will not need them, but tiktok will do, so that are their new world, and that is where they will be.

[@cocorna3282]

"Never have lives less lived been more chronicled" - Dennis Miller

[@Thesureleague]

Absolutely true. And what is scary is KZbin’s algorithm setting. I have been following a lot of cricket and following my team from Pakistan. And slowly I am getting anti India KZbin videos. This is the dark side of KZbin. Let’s not fall for it

[@Tammissa]

I think it’s actually quite sad that this is so popular when there’s a huge world to explore if people would just put their phones down for long enough to see what the real world is.

[@Cnlg97]

I get it, I’ve only ever engaged the app through compilations of comedy ones on yt and when when my bf gets on there, but I think there is a positive about a platform like this too ‘cause young people around the world can see each other and they can find more things in common than they previously believed.

[@cosmic2096]

Either, this people can propel better humanitarian trend helping , cleaning the world around them 🌎 even if it's by using this paltform .

[@earthrooster1969]

Unfortunately. The whole world is getting more and more preoccupied with their phones...

[@Tammissa]

@@Cnlg97 yes, that’s a good point. Not everything about social media is bad. I guess like most things moderation and awareness.

[@One-Ring-To-Rule-Them-All]

It is not sad, it is amazing for us who spend our time exploring the world - less people out there 😄

[@linagervacio392]

Pre-pandemic, I saw a family eat dinner at a restaurant. Probably having a family night out. Mom and Dad were on their phones. The two boys were "quietly" fighting. There was hitting and kicking under the table. Their table actually shook once or twice. Mom and Dad never noticed. They didn't look up, not even once. They did put their phones down when their food arrived. (at least 🙄)

[@puppylove422]

pre-pandemic, pandemic life is the same. no one was social before the pandemic. i remember. i remember also saying that this pandemic is HEAVEN for everyone because they are already home bodies and stuck behind their phones. they have an excuse to not go anywhere now. don't try and say that people went out and loved life before the pandemic! everyone was still a depressing blob of geeks back then.

[@petercutler6956]

Why would any sane person want to be glued to a cell phone for hours on end is absolute stupidity personified.

[@adnamadillo]

"I think every young kid's dream is to be successful online" .........what?! Not all kids are obsessed with social media! A lot of kids actually enjoy the real world -- shocking, I know.

[@DANINREDDY]

When I become aware of something like this - I thank Christ I'm old!

[@queenofthebutterflies5212]

Yup!!!!

[@sunnysunshine6271]

I just wanted to type the exact same thing lol. Watching this makes me tolerate my cracking bones lol.

[@DANINREDDY]

@@sunnysunshine6271 I'm not being a curmudgeon Sunny - I like a lot of new technology - But! there are fads that you are glad you missed, and this and the macarena being the other, I'm glad I missed!!!!

[@sunnysunshine6271]

@@DANINREDDY Lmao....not the Macarena??!!! 😱😳🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@sophie9658]

The comparison to Elton John… my god..

[@beverleykorte1832]

Yes ✌️

[@tomripley5055]

Totally agree, On top, almost implying that one day a movie will be made about her.

[@ashleybii4870]

@@tomripley5055 😂😂😂😂delusional dad.. such a 🤡...I mean, Elton John is a legend!!!! Can't be compared to some social media bimbo

[@lucyann1573]

That dad is something else. What parent condones...no, encourages their kid to drop out of high school? It's the bare minimum requirement in life.

[@Christa313]

All these social media apps are giving many millennials the integrity and depth of a wet piece of paper.