The Problem With Tik Tok
After being banned by the conservative state of Montana on the grounds of security concerns (mostly tied to China’s spying), Tik Tok has come to realize that some areas aren’t bluffing when it comes to protecting the privacy of users. Just last summer, we at siliconcyberai.com released a cybersecurity-aligned perspective on Tik-Tok and their shadowy data practices, and now with all of the renewed commotion surrounding the app, it is about time that we reassess.
While our last article offered a comprehensive run-down of Tik Tok’s privacy policy and the ins-and-outs of their exploitive advertising algorithm, there are now a lot more factors to take into account. Tik Tok’s parent company, Bytedance, claims no affiliation to the Chinese government (last March, their CEO swore before congress that Tik Tok never spies on its American users). And yet, there’s just something not quite right about the social media app. It has now been banned by various government organizations, the military, big players in the corporate sector (especially by competing tech giants), and thousands of individual users have abandoned the app in fear. As Tik Tok loses more customers due to dwindling trust, it now begs the question:
Does Tik Tok actually pose a real danger, or are we all just overreacting?
It seems that most of Gen-Z and millennials (the highest-frequency user groups) rest firmly on the “pro TikTok” side of the debate. After interviewing multiple sources, they are the main conundrum that seems to be giving U.S. policy makers and cybersecurity professionals head aches, for while most users admit the risks, the app is just “too much fun” to give up.
“Over My Dead Body”
One American college student, alias-named Amanda, described the general viewpoint in perfection:
“Even if China was spying on me and my data, I’m not too concerned about what they would find. Besides, what harm is it going to do? I’m literally just sitting here and scrolling through videos in bed. If they ban Tik Tok, there’s going to be hell to pay.”
So there you have it. If Tik Tok were to be banned in the states, millions of people would be likely to riot for its return. Besides the outbreak of disaster that would unfold, supporters of Tik Tok are quick to point out that numerous societal benefits would be lost if the app were completely shut down. It is reported that Tik Tok has saved thousands of entrepreneurs from bankruptcy, as well as revitalizing people’s stale careers. The app has provided small business owners a platform to promote their services and products, helping them gain millions of customers with one viral video. It has also been a sounding board for influencers of all cultural backgrounds and industries, yanking some destitute souls out of poverty and into the spotlight. Those who have been savvy enough to capitalize on their newfound fame and success credit their Cinderella stories to life-saver Tik Tok.
Along with economics and giving underrepresented groups a voice, no one can deny that Tik Tok has done great things. But if we are looking at the bigger picture, is it really that positive for society as a whole?
The Negatives Outweigh The Positives
After reviewing the analytics of societal behavior since Tik Tok has become implemented, we at siliconcyberai.com found some interesting things to report on. Along with concerns for data privacy and the frequent breeches in security that Tik Tok presents, the following negatives should be enough to welcome the app’s ending.
Promoting shorter attention spans
After heavily using Tik Tok, many users report being less able to pay attention for longer periods of time. While this may not be a side effect for all users, it is certainly common, and could possibly pose detrimental for individuals in other aspects of their lives. Mark, a fresh-out-of-college graduate starting his employment at a marketing firm noted a higher difficulty to concentrate in his daily life:
“Nowadays, it takes a lot of effort for me to even get through a full TV show or a book chapter. I’ll be sitting on the couch doing whatever, and I pull out my phone for those 6-8 second videos which feel a lot longer than they actually are. It’s definitely gotten a lot harder for me to focus on something for a set amount of time, and sometimes I worry if this habit will prevent me from focusing at my new job.”
Relatable? Students especially experience this drop in focus too, and it could lead to other negative effects in other areas of life (maintaining good grades, getting into university, performing at work, basic adulting skills etc.).
More screen time = less living
While part of Tik Tok’s appeal is promoting limitless access to all areas of culture, many users end up feeling disappointed with the sharp increase in screen time. One of the biggest concerns that people lament about is that Tik Tok is a huge time-waster. While you could be out enjoying an amazing adventure this summer, the app tends to keep people shut inside scrolling in the dark. Since the app’s algorithm is specifically designed to hold a user’s attention for long stretches (around 3 hours average), many people report wasting a big chunk of their day just reviewing content… and getting zero work done. If you’re looking to become more productive, deleting Tik Tok is a great start. This also piggy-backs off of the app’s shorter video length strategy, which is sure to keep users distracted while not allowing them to feel like the app is taking up too much of their time.
Rise in mental health problems
Obviously, an app that exploits people’s mental health problems like Tik Tok isn’t going to be good for society. The list of atrocities is almost too long to count. Many users of the app report being exposed to high doses of content triggering depression, eating disorders, negative comparison, anxiety, body-shaming, suicide, etc. etc. etc.
Since a lot of this content is targeting the younger generations it’s terrible. Just terrible. As a result of the rampant spread of misinformation and overall upsetting content, the National Institute of Health reported a 40% increase in the number of children and teenagers with mental, emotional, and developmental disorders, as well as a sharp increase in suicidal behavior since 2019. While other social media giants continue to add to this increase, there is something about Tik Tok that accelerates the number of unhappy people. If you feel that Tik Tok is impacting your sense of self, it may be time to give up the app for the sake of your own happiness and well-being.
General Toxicity / Increase In “Cancel Culture”
It is no secret that social media has largely impacted people’s ability to feel compassion and empathy for others, and not necessarily in a positive way. “Cancel culture” is an umbrella term commonly used to refer to the act of mass exiling a public figure who has done something deemed unacceptable by society, but with Tik Tok, cancel culture goes even further. In recent years, Tik Tok has become a tool to target anyone and “cancel” them by promoting extreme shame and cyber-bullying. Many users of Tik Tok have reported feeling an increase in the general toxicity of their peers and even in themselves. While the slightest error would attract little notice a few years ago, nowadays, Tik Tok serves as a gigantic magnifying glass to capitalize on the smallest of micro aggressions. As a business owner with rapidly growing followers, Angelica reports her fears of getting canceled:
“I have to check every post and then double, triple check it. The truth is that I’m terrified. Anything and everything that I say is going to be scrutinized so heavily by strangers I don’t even know. I don’t want to do anything wrong or my business will be killed so quickly.”
Overall, Tik Tok is prone to breeding toxicity and directs hatred from millions towards one individual. Often times, it’s not a fair fight. However, this isn’t to dispute the fact that there should be consequences for someone’s poor choice of actions. While social media apps like Tik Tok enforce accountability, the accumulation of death threats, targeting family members or friends of the “cancelled” person, and no-limit investigations into an individuals private life is unethical. If you have noticed a highly aggressive change in the way that you or your friends approach conflict, it could be Tik Tok that is riling you up.
Inappropriate Content Targeting Children
One of the biggest challenges for parents when it comes to managing their children’s social media is how to avoid the exposure of inappropriate content. Unfortunately in this current era of tech, there are still nearly not enough security measures to protect minors from being exposed to dangerous people on social media and the internet. Out of many other social media giants, Tik Tok is one of the worst offenders for failing to shield young children from threatening individuals, and the app continues to operate without implementing the most basic safety protocols. For instance, there are no procedures built-into the app to monitor predator activity; only private investigation teams do so on their own time. While parents are able to limit push notifications for their child’s account after bed-time, there is no mechanism to control the age-appropriate content that their child will see throughout their day.
Overall, Tik Tok fails to protect the most important thing in our world. While it’s clear that they do not give a donkey’s arse about the safety of average users, the number one priority should at least be to always protect the children. And yet, they don’t do it.
Conclusion
Along with concerns for data privacy (see our previous article “On Tik Tok: A Cybersecurity Perspective”), there are many other reasons why Tik Tok is purely not beneficial for society. What more can we say? Between the rise in mental health problems, distraction techniques, and its ability to alter attention spans, we are probably better off without it. If you Gen-zers still aren’t convinced, what more can we honestly do? Based on the direction we are going, people eventually have to realize that Tik Tok will certainly not be around forever and that time may come very soon. But look on the bright side! Now that we’ve all experienced Tik Tok’s highly addictive algorithm, it’s rather easy for another tech giant to create a safer copy-cat. Instagram reels seems to be the natural successor to Tik Tok’s necessity, so even if it ceases to exist, we can at least rely on a cheaper back-up generator that isn’t run by Chinese spies. Like the common saying goes, “everyone is replaceable”.
Comentarios