Here is why you and/or your kid should NEVER get involved with the app.

Hello, my name is Sky and I'm a 19 year old TikTok creator with 75,000 followers.

#1, IT IS DESIGNED TO BE ADDICTIVE.

This app legitimately preys on mass numbers of people using an algorithm that specifically caters to your interests. The app relies on dopamine baiting (constant entertainment and dopamine release in your brain) in order to keep you scrolling, viewing adds, and making it money. As a result many people (including myself) end up mindlessly scrolling for hours, making the company money in the process.

#2, PROMOTES SEXUAL BEHAVIOR IN KIDS.

The app also is very heavily focused on sex appeal and "looking the standard" in order to be relevant. Because many kids want to be relevant and "famous," it has resulted in millions of underaged kids making "thirst traps" in order to get likes and "be trendy/relevant."

A lot of people (including creeps who wanna see that content) are getting away with perpetuating it by making the excuse "they're just expressing themselves."

That IS NOT the case. The reason for this mass perpetuation is due to the need to feel seen, which causes many people (including those 16 and under) to make promiscuous videos for views.

This has also lead to the integration and normalization of lingerie, harnesses, etc as "alternative fashion" for youth.

Which again, is being normalized with "but they're just clothes" despite their inherently sexual origins.

As someone who is part of the alternative community, this kind of stuff is straight up shady.

#3, SHADOWBANNING

The app is NOTORIOUS for allowing explicit/violent content to stay up, and taking down/blocking artists and small businesses posts. For example, I have 75,000 followers, and get maybe 100 likes per video because of the algorithm, being that I'm an artist.

The entire app is horrible for creative types being that the only content that prevails relies on either trend following, sex appeal, or the shock factor.

#4 ASSUMPTIONS AND CANCELLING

This app is also one of the roots of cancel culture, which UNDER THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES CAN BE GOOD. For example, legitimate racists, pedophiles, and homophobes/transphobia being exposed for unacceptable behavior. HOWEVER:

This wave has also lead to many people receiving unwarranted death threats, losing their platforms, and being "cancelled" without actual proof- based on accusations alone.

#5, THE BEAUTY ALGORITHM

You heard me right. The apps algorithm legitimately analyzes the faces of its creators and promotes those with more "favorable" features. You can find stuff about it all over the internet. As a result many people with ethnic features who do not fit the "big eyes, small nose, big lips, perfect skin" standard, are immediately doomed right out of the gate.

IN CONCLUSION:

While this app has been used for many valuable social movements, it has also been used to spread severe misinformation, perpetuate the sexualisation of youth, create social media addictions on a ridiculous scale, and contribute to unrealistic standards of beauty. (Especially with the video "beauty" editing software that now allows people to change their bodies ans faces in videos.)

If you are involved on TikTok, I heavily encourage you to pull away from it because, simply put, you are being used. It is not about "empowering creatives," it is about making money.

If you aren't involved with the app, then I hope this serves to deter you as I wish I would've been, rather than being stuck spending 4+ hours a day mindlessly scrolling.

If you have a preteen or teen who is wanting to join the app, you are more than welcome to tell show them this post and let them know that even the trendy 19 year olds with more followers than they know what to do with, are realizing how much harm the app can do.

Please keep yourself and your kids safe, and don't let that app manipulate you and steal your time the way it did me.

Thank you, and as always best wishes, stay healthy, and much love,

Sky :)