BREAKING: TikTok’s algorithm is Deadly by Design.
Our new report shows how TikTok bombards new teen accounts with harmful videos about body image, mental health, eating disorders, and self-harm.
#FixTikTok
counterhate.com/research/deadl…
Our new research found TikTok recommends:
❌Videos about mental health & body image every 39s
❌Suicide content within 2.6 mins
❌Eating disorder content within 8 mins
An average US teen spends ~80 mins a day on TikTok. TikTok boosts content that impacts teens’ mental health.
Our latest report explores the experiences of 13-year-olds interested in mental health & body image setting up a new TikTok account.
We found these accounts received videos with self-harm content within 2.6 mins & could see their first piece of eating disorder content in 8 mins.
TikTok’s content was even worse when we set up ‘vulnerable’ teen accounts, whose usernames included the term ‘loseweight’.
TikTok’s algorithm served ‘vulnerable’ accounts 3 times as many harmful videos and 12 times as many self-harm & suicide videos.
Our research shows hashtags used to share eating disorder content on TikTok have over 13.2 billion video views.
#FixTikTok
TikTok’s algorithm serves vulnerable users even more harmful content in their ‘For You’ feed.
This not only impacts young people, but adults who suffer from eating disorders and mental health issues too.
TikTok is deadly by design.
Social media puts people in real danger.
The UK was shaken by Molly Russell’s case, where Instagram was named a direct contributor to the 14-year-old’s suicide. Molly engaged with posts about depression, self-harm or suicide prior to her death.
TW // suicide, self-harm
“Through public scrutiny we must shine a spotlight on this harmful content and take affirmative action to help protect the vulnerable people exposed to it.”
Spokesperson for the @mollyroseorg about our findings on TikTok’s harmful algorithm.
TikTok is putting profit over people’s safety. Millions of young and vulnerable people are targeted by TikTok’s algorithm because it’s good business.
But TikTok’s business means teens’ safety is at risk.
#FixTikTok
TikTok’s algorithm is deadly by design.
TikTok must stop enabling the spread of harmful content into young people’s feeds and #FixTikTok
act.counterhate.com/page/119282/pe…
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