Anyone understand TikTok?

[Muddledandmiddle]

I started a secret TikTok account a few months ago. I write poetry and basically I didn’t even tell my husband or best friend, it’s just something for me. To express some thoughts and I’ve enjoyed that no one else knows.

I seem to get a handful of people I know come up on my fyp, which I presumed was because maybe there was an algorithm overlap between my other accounts (one work and one personal- I don’t post anything on personal, it’s just for scrolling interior accounts!)

today someone very close to me has followed my secret poetry account. The poetry is absolutely crap so it’s not because they like it I’m sure! It wouldn’t even be relatable to them, I believe.

and now I’m filled with dread and embarrassment that they know the poems are mine, and I think I want to delete the account. It no longer feels like my secret space. I know I am ridiculous and aware it’s a public platform and therefore not actually secret, but I wanted my identity to be.

does anyone know if it’s possible for someone to know it’s my account? Under edit profile there is nothing at all that shows my name…

thank you

If you want a private space for the poetry, then write in a paper note book.

If you used your usual email address or your phone number to set up the account, you've probably come up as a contact or someone they may know.

Check your settings to make sure that you don't appear to anyone in your contacts who also had an account. Under settings & privacy, privacy, suggest your account to others and make sure everyone is turned off.

TikTok matches me with people I know, so contacts through my phone/facebook. That’s probably why they have followed you/liked your postings.

MN seems to have really hit a slippery slope the last year or so, I’ve been here about ten years and it was never this persistently nasty.

You would not believe the horrific things I have suffered the last two years and on a whim, one night, I changed a redundant account that had been set up during Covid so I could just watch the reels everyone kept sending, into something just for me, to share anonymously. Others wrote comments about how they resonated and it helped them and I enjoyed a tiny part of the internet that felt a little vulnerable, but safe in anonymity to share.

I’ve taken it all down and boxed it away in my mind and I won’t continue to write because my poems were never any good anyways, but thank you very much for making me feel a little bit more shit than I already do. Im sure it was worth the little thrill behind your keyboard.

thanks to everyone else, you’re right, although no personal info is attached to it, it would have originally been set up with an email perhaps that I generally use, so it’ll be linking me to others in that way possibly. It’s bought to the forefront that it’s all a bit silly so I’ve deleted it.

I agree with you OP, MN has become really nasty in the last couple of years. The anonymity of the forum really brings out the worst in people.

People will see 'from your contacts' on your account but I'm not sure if they will be able to work out that it's your number linked to the account.

I don’t think your idea is silly at all. You are using a space so often filled with complete nonsense to be creative, to share with others and to explore your emotions.
What harm are you doing? Absolutely none and it’s no wonder we have such poor mental health in this country if the only reaction to this is sniping and ridicule.
I know nothing about how these things work but I think what you are doing is brave and beautiful, and I love finding little glimmers of humanity in soulless places. Please keep doing it but in whatever way makes it feel like a safe space. ❤️

Sorry you've had such a horrible reply. I don't recognise mumsnet anymore and increasingly avoid it for the reasons you've said

sen me anonymous messages I won’t know who send it

I had a secret Instagram account where I wrote poetry. I also bottled it and took it down! If I did it again it would be totally anonymous.