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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think Tiktok is disturbing

73 replies

Snegle · 14/08/2022 11:59

I reluctantly got my own Tiktok account recently and all I got recommended was video after video of child and animal cruelty from the moment I logged in. Also footage of domestic violence that was mocking a woman being punched in the face and someone winding up disabled people. It just seems like a competition in who can be the most cruel and rude. These videos have hundreds of thousands of likes. I'm really confused? I've found some of it quite upsetting and I never want to go on Tiktok again. Is this what TikTok is? What a hell hole.

Just for context I'm 30 so technically key audience for TT.

OP posts:
liveforsummer · 14/08/2022 12:04

I've be er seen anything like this on tik tok. Start interacting with things you do like and this sort of stuff should disappear quickly. When I joined it was the height of the tik tok dance challenges craze so it was that that I saw at first til my personal interests took over. Now it's horses, other animals, Scottish hikes/scenery, cooking, childcare probably in that order.

ilyx · 14/08/2022 12:09

I’ve been on tiktok for over a year and have never seen anything like this. The algorithm shows you when you’re watching and interacting with. If you don’t want to see it then scroll past very quickly or you’ll keep being recommended it.

AlexandriasWindmill · 14/08/2022 12:10

My TikTok is full of books, authors, musicians and classic comedy.

Search and follow according to your interests, and that's what you'll be shown.

EmmaH2022 · 14/08/2022 12:10

OP "I reluctantly got my own Tiktok account recently"

why? Is it work related?

just ditch it. Isn't it the worst app for data mining as well?

liveforsummer · 14/08/2022 12:11

Oh and not forgetting the movie or tv clips that I end up getting lost in watching 28 parts of clips when you could hair watch the program online Blush. I like the odd historical crime few parters too

Liebig · 14/08/2022 12:12

Welcome to the human race.

AlexandriasWindmill · 14/08/2022 12:17

But to answer your question - it's as disturbing as Twitter ie you can find or avoid unsavoury content. Also both Twitter and TikTok don't care about misogyny. You can report it but they won't do anything.
Although the algorithm appears slightly more genuine on TikTok. When there was a hashtag being used for a misogyny trend, lots of people flooded the hashtag with content calling it out.And the misogyny was pushed down.
On Twitter they suppress pro-women hashtags and prioritise misogyny every time imo.

Mybeautifulfriend22 · 14/08/2022 12:19

I joined tik tok in the pandemic. I’ve never seen anything like this. First it was dances etc then once I interacted mostly my feed is animal videos, older creators, comedy etc.

Shoxfordian · 14/08/2022 12:22

If you hold down on a video then you can click not interested so it learns what you like and also heart stuff you do want to see

I’ve never seen anything dodgy like this on TikTok

Original poster
Snegle · 14/08/2022 12:26

But that's the point surely.. as a new user why is it serving me with abuse as the first content I see? It seems that by simply watching something for a second to see what it is somehow makes the algorithm think that's what you like. I don't want to scroll through endless videos of horrible behaviour until I find something I like?

I've deleted it now. I downloaded it because I have a relative who has been quite 'successful' on it (making videos about a sport they do) and I wanted to check their content out. I do work in media and check Twitter from time to time for work stuff, but deleted my FB and Instagram years ago.

OP posts:
ZeroFuchsGiven · 14/08/2022 12:26

My ds is 16 and came to me the other day saying he keeps getting horrible videos coming up of really sick and dying children in hospital being live streamed. He says he keeps reporting and doesn't understand why they keep showing up. He showed me one before reporting and it was horrible!

To be clear I know nothing about tiktok.

ilyx · 14/08/2022 12:28

ZeroFuchsGiven · 14/08/2022 12:26

My ds is 16 and came to me the other day saying he keeps getting horrible videos coming up of really sick and dying children in hospital being live streamed. He says he keeps reporting and doesn't understand why they keep showing up. He showed me one before reporting and it was horrible!

To be clear I know nothing about tiktok.

Oh I keep seeing that baby video if that’s what you’re talking about, the one in hospital, it’s terrifying! I keep quickly scrolling past it and it keeps being recommended to me.

ChilledAngelDelight · 14/08/2022 12:29

I've been drawn into so many Turkish drama series on there 😂

liveforsummer · 14/08/2022 12:29

I can't answer you 100%. I didn't experience this as a new user. Maybe you've just been really unlucky. You can ask your relative to forward their videos to your what's app and you can see them that way

pierpoint · 14/08/2022 12:30

ilyx · 14/08/2022 12:09

I’ve been on tiktok for over a year and have never seen anything like this. The algorithm shows you when you’re watching and interacting with. If you don’t want to see it then scroll past very quickly or you’ll keep being recommended it.

I was going to say the same. Never have I ever seen any of these videos and I've been watching since 2020.

whalleyt · 14/08/2022 12:32

My ds is 16 and came to me the other day saying he keeps getting horrible videos coming up of really sick and dying children in hospital being live streamed.

that's really disturbing, who would do this & want to watch it.

Cstring · 14/08/2022 12:32

I’ve never had anything like this. I started with my likes about fitness, food, hair and make up, animals, and went from there.
You can also click the videos to also say you’re not interested in the type Of content if you don’t like it.

Amortentia · 14/08/2022 12:33

I agree with you. Although I don’t use TikTok I see lots of TikTok content on instagram. If you scroll through the main feed eventually you run out of stuff the algorithm thinks you’ll like, then you get these horrible videos. There seems to be an awful lot of arseholes out there who enjoy inflicting cruel pranks on their own families/children/random people. There’s all sorts of grim stuff available on there.

redfairy · 14/08/2022 12:34

The longer you watch these tiktoks the more they will throw at you. Mine is mostly gardening and home reno these days but there are the occasional nasty which can be upsetting. Don't watch and the algorithm will start pushing those ones you are watching and liking. Maybe start following those you do like and ignore your FYP (for you page)

ilyx · 14/08/2022 12:34

pierpoint · 14/08/2022 12:30

I was going to say the same. Never have I ever seen any of these videos and I've been watching since 2020.

Show quote history

I was actually wrong, I do keep being recommended this live of a baby in hospital and I don’t want to be mean but it’s terrifying, the baby has this giant head and severe deformities, my partner also keeps being recommended it and we do not watch similar videos so there is definitely an issue.

ilyx · 14/08/2022 12:35

redfairy · 14/08/2022 12:34

The longer you watch these tiktoks the more they will throw at you. Mine is mostly gardening and home reno these days but there are the occasional nasty which can be upsetting. Don't watch and the algorithm will start pushing those ones you are watching and liking. Maybe start following those you do like and ignore your FYP (for you page)

Also commenting and sharing you are even more likely to get them on your algorithm.

ZeroFuchsGiven · 14/08/2022 12:36

ilyx · 14/08/2022 12:34

I was actually wrong, I do keep being recommended this live of a baby in hospital and I don’t want to be mean but it’s terrifying, the baby has this giant head and severe deformities, my partner also keeps being recommended it and we do not watch similar videos so there is definitely an issue.

Show quote history

Yes that is the one, it's absolutely horrific.

liveforsummer · 14/08/2022 12:36

whalleyt · 14/08/2022 12:32

My ds is 16 and came to me the other day saying he keeps getting horrible videos coming up of really sick and dying children in hospital being live streamed.

that's really disturbing, who would do this & want to watch it.

Archie Batersbees mum for one. I didn't see any of hers on my actual til tok feed as that's not the sort of content I get but I've seen her tik toks at his bedside shared widely on other platforms

BellaLab · 14/08/2022 12:40

ZeroFuchsGiven · 14/08/2022 12:26

My ds is 16 and came to me the other day saying he keeps getting horrible videos coming up of really sick and dying children in hospital being live streamed. He says he keeps reporting and doesn't understand why they keep showing up. He showed me one before reporting and it was horrible!

To be clear I know nothing about tiktok.

This comes up on mine too a lot, the father livestreams a child with hydrocephalus being fed etc. I’ve reported it hundreds of times.

liveforsummer · 14/08/2022 12:41

Maybe start following those you do like and ignore your FYP

Good point - you can follow your family member only then set your feed to 'following' that way that's all you will ever see