Gen Z exposure to tiktok live echo chambers

[Tikttotk]

I recently downloaded TikTok as something to do whilst bored. Had it once many years back in the pre live days and lasted a week as the algorithm got stuck in a weird world.

Again I have lasted about a week before getting seriously concerned about it.

It’s not pigeon holed me into an algorithm yet so I am being shown all breadth of madness. It is truly insane.

There’s so many people having ‘debates’ about extreme positions on topics who invite people on to their lives to debate and then kick them off or mute them. That might not sound alarming but the positions are incredibly extreme, the toxicity, the misogyny, racism, slurs. The fact this makes incredible levels of echo chamber I am not sure I have seen before. The misinformation is crazy.

I don’t know what I am saying really but this is a platform for young people. It’s concerning. Has anyone been on there and seen what I am talking about?

As an adult I just look at this mind blown that these people exist and seeing the hatred and mistrust is scary.

And yes sure I will just delete it in a week and move on as it’s infuriating; but what is this doing to the next generation. Any one?

I don't know about echo chambers but I love TikTok. Especially the comedy. I don't watch or follow anything that's unpleasant or annoying.

TikTok is moronic

TikTok is an occasional guilty pleasure of mine as a mum in her 40s, but I just rapidly swipe any rubbish and the algorithm seems to know I like dogs, babies, fitness and dancing. Sometimes it tries to show me crap but I swipe and don’t ‘like’ anything I don’t want to see again. I think it’s a highly dangerous app for children and young people though - should not be used by under 16s as they would just consume all kinds of insane content without a developed critical approach.

By watching extreme views, you encourage the algorithm to feed you more extreme stuff. I understand why you may have watched something open mouthed but you have to swipe so the algorithm learns what you like.

I don’t watch politics but have seen lots of scaremongering about food and health. “This will give you cancer!” “You’re fat because you don’t take this supplement that I’m selling!” You start recognising the people and face to swipe away.

It’s not just on TT. The other platforms like Instagram reels are the same videos posted on TT.

No it’s not like Instagram at all. This is specifically Live I am talking about.

Sorry I didn’t read your post carefully.

I thought that most creators streamed on multiple platforms simultaneously? Happy to be corrected if I’m wrong

Sorry @Snorlaxo didnt realise same poster as was going to write a longer comment for you.

I agree maybe it is still showing me extreme stuff because I am staying to watch extreme stuff. But then on the surface it’s dressed as pretty mundane IYSWIM, and I do believe the algorithm is showing me everything as it’s thoroughly confused.

For example it will show me in say for example this order:

Get ready with me of someone normal doing makeup
someone playing dj music
someone doing tarot
lgbgQ+ general chat
some antiabortion 18yo from U.K. spouting about human rights inviting people and just screaming at girls ‘what is a human right’ and kicking them when they don’t answer
a rude boi driving 100+ mph on a motorway
someone walking through a forest
some seemingly mundane guy chatting in a car who turns out is on a religious rant talking about idolism and not conversing with non believers. (Women who post or comment being called wh^ and other Punjabi swear words).
A live video of a alley
some entirely normal person in Australia eating breakfast
a white supremist from america
some poor confused transitioning teen just minding their own business but is getting abuse from random incomes in comment
Someone playing Xbox.
A drunk person in their living room.
someone doing asmr tapping
someone singing.
someone discussing whether filly is the new p Diddy
someone trading
hurricane damage

So it’s not just a one track thing. These lives are peppered in between all kinds of stuff. But the types of stuff which are popping up are so varied and all the most extreme of extreme.

isreali propaganda on Zionist levels of invoking the end days prophecy
hamas propoganda (not just pro Palestine but beyond that).
transwomen are women debates where young girls are being told it’s a hate crime in U.K. to think transwomen are transwomen (ie. Not necessarily even men)
anti abortion chaired by young British boys
pro choice women trying to have reasonable discussion does balance the above slightly
Muslim extremism of varying levels
Christian extremism mainly related to abortion but some anti immigration and also racist white supremicist stuff

As I said I don’t really know what I am saying or the purpose of this post. Just that there a lot of really extreme young people out there. And lots of sweet meek sounding balanced young people (mainly girls) out there trying to intervene and getting shouted down, slurred at and kicked off.

It’s quite alarming to think this is the world they are growing up in.

I am talking about the live button on the top left of the screen. It’s separate live streams and aren’t recorded for later.

Check it out at some point and let me know what you think.

I know what you mean

I get tarot, women selling clothes, cleaning on request, people opening packets of Pokemon cards, people playing guitar, people painting … I don’t watch Live often but it’s very random and not a reflection of my FYP. I sometimes someone sat at a table and looking ready to rant but I skip those as I prefer escapist stuff like people who can “hack” Ikea furniture into something that fits their house. (I am shit at DIY)

It blows my mind how you can even watch all that shit let alone make a list about it. 🤷

@Renamedyetagain

I am doing a lot of mundane night work atm. Bored of podcasts so moved onto TikTok live.

Some of it is quite entertaining!

But other parts incredibly alarming!

My dd is a teen and she just watches tiktoks of people getting their nails done.

There have always been extremists out there. There are extremists on mumsnet. The Internet has just given them a place to share it. My friend(well she isnt really a friend anymore) went down conspiracy theory rabbit holes without ever downloading tiktok. Really off the wall batshit stuff, she in lots of closed Facebook groups where they share they batshit stuff, on discord where they share it etc. My dds boyfriends dad is in his 60s,he is a very right wing Christian, anti abortion, anti immigration, anti gay, he is in little online groups, he started a little podcast, he is on discord and has created a little echo chamber around himself.

These little echo chambers are everywhere, how many people are on reddit for example, you might think woah so varied but post a pro Palestinian view on 'worldnews' for instance and you get a ban. Post about how Israel should flatten Gaza and you get 100s of 'upvotes'. Each subreddit has its own echo chamber, it's own party line that you have to tow or you are out.

I suppose what I am saying is welcome to the Internet.