THE IMPACT OF TIKTOK ON THE TEEN COMMUNITY, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON UNCOVERING THE DARK TRUTH BEYOND THE SOMEWHAT LIGHTHEARTED APP... (PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THEMES OF DRUG ABUSE, SELF-HARM, AND CHILD EXPLOITATION)
By Lexi CoyleMcDonald
Lifestyle Head
TikTok. The thing that’s keeping a lot of kids sane and keeping their parents even more insane. I have had TikTok since mid-2019 and it has gone through a variety of changes since I have downloaded it, in my opinion for the worse. It draws so many parallels to modern pop culture, especially with our younger generations and the concept of trends that come and go.
1. Absolutely anything the Hype House does...
The Hype House is a group of super-famous teenagers where the darkest yo u can be is a tanned Caucasian, with the “face” of this group being Charli Damelio. (Click on the picture for access to the video).
(Charli+Lilhuddy, ex’s who dated in Hype House)
2. The "Savage" dance....
A dance to the song “Savage” by Megan Thee Stallion, which is very fun to do and is a good distraction in quarantine. (Click on the picture for access to the video).
(The Lopez brothers who are famous for their dancing)
3. The Spin-off dance to “Savage"
A dance to the song “Savage” by Megan Thee Stallion, featuring elements from the popular TV show Tiger King that perpetuates claims that Carol Baskin murdered her husband (Click on the picture for access to the video).
4. Whipped Anything...
Whipped beverages such as coffee, chocolate milk, strawberry milk, or anything you can think of! (I highly recommend the whipped chocolate milk)
5. Taking at-home substitutes for drugs...
Taking items such as large amounts of nutmeg (which can be life-threatening) or shots of vanilla extract (because of the high alcohol content).
(The effects on nutmeg on a teenage girl who took too much to have hallucinations)
6. The “lip-guy"
The "lip-guy"is basically this kid who repeatedly posts videos of himself lip-syncing to the same song that is about a girl who likes boys and girls, but the issue with this is he is doing it to many famous TikTokers who do not identify as bisexual (and he even does this to his mother and little brother) and that he is promoting the fetishization of women who are attracted to other women
(The lip guy talking about Dixie, which made her come out as straight due to rumors)
7. The “mirror reflection” and “inverted” trends...
The “mirror reflection” and “inverted” trends, where you mirror half your face over then go back to normal to see the difference or invert your face to see how asymmetrical your face is.
(Inverted filter, makes people feel bad about themselves)
8. "Unsafe Spaces"
A creator either making their comments “unsafe spaces” where they will roast whatever you say (including if you comment about topics that have caused you pain, such as eating disorders, family deaths, and the like) or liking your comment if they think you are attractive or not, all, according to their standards.
9. Madison Beer
Everything about the famous singer and TikToker Madison Beer, who is absolutely gorgeous inside and out (and is actually struggling right now with the way TikTok is currently, in relation to the self-deprecating nature of many teen girls’ online presences).
(Madison Beer on her own account’s effect on her followers)
10. Illegal Distribution Of Images...
Distributing child pornography as a “joke,” which many males have been doing to underage girls who have had their nudes leaked to TikTok, calling themself “kings” and posting these girls’ pictures as their profile pictures and commenting demeaning things on the girls’ accounts.
ULTIMATELY
Even with all of these negative aspects though, TikTok’s smaller accounts are so fun to look at! They feature new music, underground bands, DIY art projects, cool places to shop at or thrift at, and are positive and creative inspirations to me and many others. There are also countless accounts that devote themselves to raising awareness about relevant topics such as mental health, discrimination towards minority groups, and providing good ways to properly interact with people who may not be the perceived version of “normal.” This is the TikTok I want to see more of, not the one where people are using racial slurs, hating on others, making fun of people’s faces, bodies, gender expression/identification, and being proud of it. Platforms such as TikTok are so influential, but so far, I don’t see this on balance being an asset to my generation, unless changes are made to make it a safer community for everybody.
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