Age gaps and TikTok

[SmileLady]

Hi all,

I am pretty new to MN, but very new to TikTok. Only created a TT account last week. My FYP keeps directing me to a 16 year old girl who is in a relationship with a 58 year old man. There is a massive debate going on about it. Lots of people agree with her and telling her she should love who she wants.

Is this normal TIK TOK stuff and do your think this is really true?

I find it all a bit weird........

Well everything I've heard about Tik Tok has been negative so far.
So I'm not at all surprised about this and will continue not to have anything to do with it.

It's and algorithm so it's based on what you watch and like. If you want the algorithm to change swipe past these videos and don't interact. When you see videos you enjoy and want to see more of then interact with them and the algorithm will soon change. I don't see any videos of teenagers on mine as I'm an adult and that's weird

Just delete your Tik Tok account - time wasting, vaccuous, banal, irrelevant crap

It is so odd. I'm fascinated.

I've been on tik tok for a few years now and I don't get this type of content, I get dogs, arts and crafts, diy. I have two other fiends who get the same type of content as me.

If you're pausing scrolling to watch and reading and interact with comments the algorithm will throw more of the type of content you engage with to you so scroll past or block and search things you want to see and it'll sort itself out.

Yes what @WakeMeUpWhenItsAllOverPlease says

The algorithms are sophisticated and sensitive and you have to be careful. If you spend any time watching a video that comes up it will assume you are interested in it and show you more of the same.

It happens to everyone that something pretty gross pops up and you just start to watch before you realise. Then you need to block it.

Tiktok is terrible for showing you stuff you don't want to see and I'm talking about low level stuff. No child should have it as they could very quickly get into horrific adult content without blinking.

Well the demographic for TT is girls aged 10-19 so of course they're all going to agree with her because they're all idiots with no life experience. Parents letting young children on TT will also mean they have poor parenting skills and won't have hammered home grooming to them. Why do you want to be on a social media platform who's demographic is literal children anyway?

just use the not interested button

Thanks, everyone. I have also found an old friend on the TT app, who now portrays herself and her family as some idealised image of family life and happiness. This is a domestically abusive relationship and the kids are all traumatised by it. Honestly, I cannot believe what I see.

Then a group of men in India/Pakistan, possibly sitting in a muddy pool in the middle of the night.......WTF?

Have you ever used youtube? Same stuff , just different format and shorter.

No need to be that baffled by it.

Yes, I have, But I think the really short clips are a bit addictive and they seem to make you scroll more. I am outing myself here as a total techn😅 novice!!!

Yes they are. They are specifically designed that way. Short content, instant gratification, easy to mindlessly scroll through hundreds of and always looking for the next thing that will give you a hit.

It's so successful all the other SM platforms are doing it too. Youtube shorts, FB reels, Instagram etc.

One thing is, the more you watch something, the more you will be given similar content, so if you want to change your FYP you need to either significantly change your viewing habits, or start fresh with a new account.