TikTok has to face a lawsuit from the mother of 10-year-old Nylah Anderson, who “unintentionally hanged herself” after watching videos of the so-called blackout challenge on her algorithmically curated For You Page (FYP). The “challenge,” according to the suit, encouraged viewers to “choke themselves until passing out.”
TikTok’s algorithmic recommendations on the FYP constitute the platform’s own speech, according to the Third Circuit court of appeals. That means it’s something TikTok can be held accountable for in court. Tech platforms are typically protected by a legal shield known as Section 230, which prevents them from being sued over their users’ posts, and a lower court had initially dismissed the suit on those grounds.
Shit like this is why I intend to keep my (currently) 9yo as far away from social media as I can, for as long as I can. This fucking terrifies me, as it should any parent.
Educating your kid about the many possible pitfalls of social media is even more important. They will eventually experience it, are likely already to some degree through their friends’ devices exposed to it. Don’t make the mistake of turning social media into some kind of forbidden fruit, but instead provide them with the tools to deal with it responsibly.
That said, I would still not allow this Chinese psy-ops tool on any device in my household. Other social media is already terrible enough, but TikTok seems to be engineered to cause nothing but damage.
My own belief is that all social media is a cancer, and to be avoided entirely. I’m able to do that for myself, but I’m also realistic about the chances of keeping my kids away from it. So, I focus my energy on trying to equip them with the mental skills to neutralise the toxic aspects of social media.
For my 9yo, that means teaching her to employ natural skepticism and critical thinking. I’m also trying to drum into her the understanding that social media is inherently untrustworthy and unreliable, and exists solely for the benefit of the corporations that run it.
That said, I’ve blocked Tik Tok on my home network, much to the older kids’ chagrin. They have to use mobile data if they want to access that shit on their phones.
You just posted this to a social media site…
Come on dude, you know exactly what he meant. Social media is a broad category, but when someone mentions it in this context, it’s very clear what they mean.
I disagree. I don’t think it’s clear at all what he considers dangerous about social media if he’s excluding things like Lemmy, Reddit, and other message boards.
Later in the same comment I mention how I think social media only benefits the corporations that run it.
It’s pretty clear what I meant.