English II

01/31/2023

Dangers Of TikTok

Skits. Dances. Music. TikTok is one of the most popular entertainment apps for the

younger generation. However, TikTok can be very dangerous for kids and teens because it

collects a large amount of personal information from their devices, impacts their self-esteem, and

is addictive. Research shows that TikTok has both security issues and is harmful to one’s mental

health, yet it is also one of the most common social media apps and is very useful for spreading

information. With teens increasingly using TikTok, the question we need to ask is whether the

benefits really do outweigh the dangers.

TikTok is an app owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company, but it is also highly popular

worldwide. Over the past few years, it has come under repeated scrutiny for collecting user data

from users in the United States. According to a November 2022 article published by NPR, “the

app can track users' locations and collect internet browsing data even from unrelated websites.”

(Treisman). Considering that a large percentage of TikTok’s audience is young people who may

be unaware of these dangers, it is extremely concerning that TikTok is tracking browsing data.

Furthermore, TikTok appears to be illegally controlling journalism with its data collection

capabilities. According to an article from CNN, four TikTok employees were fired in December

2022 for accessing two American journalists’ personal information. This included IP addresses,

which can be exploited to find an individual’s location (Duffy). In fact, United States

government officials find these data breaches so concerning that they are considering legislation

to ban the app entirely. NPR reporters explain that in early November 2022, two Congressmen
‘introduced legislation that they said would ban TikTok "and other social media companies that

are effectively controlled by the CCP from operating in the United States."’ (Treisman).

Additionally, the lawmakers have pointed out that not only does TikTok collect an alarming

amount of user data, it also censors content which could contradict the Chinese government – an

example being criticism of Uyghurs in China. Evidently, this popular social media platform is

not blameless when it comes to the issue of security and free speech.

Moreover, TikTok appears to be harming the self-esteem and body image of teenagers, as

an article from Fortune Magazine illustrates. By promoting weight loss and an unachievable

beauty standard, teens are made to feel ashamed and overly self-conscious regarding their

appearance. As University of Vermont professor Lizzy Pope points out, these videos “actually

lead to disordered eating behaviors and thoughts, like feeling guilt, shame, and anxiety around

food” (Mikhail). Therefore, many of these so-called “nutrition” and “healthy living” videos

which teens view constantly are harming their health. Since online trends set the “ideal” body to

be slim, this creates negative feelings and self-doubt in the minds of individuals with bulkier

body types. Likewise, many TikTok content creators use filters, makeup, and outfits to appear

more attractive than they are in real life. Once again, this creates a fake portrayal of what people,

especially teenage girls, are “supposed” to look like.

Another issue, which TikTok shares with other social media platforms, is the risk of

addiction. From personal experience, I can attest to the fact that middle school and high school

students constantly use the videos on TikTok as entertainment – at home, on the bus, at lunch,

between classes, in the gym. Whenever they feel the slightest hint of boredom, the remedy for

teenagers is more often than not scrolling through short video clips. Keeping this in mind, it is

easy to understand why teens can get addicted to this app. An article on PsyPost, ‘New study
identifies the most definitive signs of “TikTok addiction”’, draws attention to a recent study

conducted by Troy Smith at the University of Trinidad and Tobago. The study interviewed 173

TikTok users, and used criteria similar to that used to measure Facebook addiction in order to

determine risk. It found that while ‘the majority of TikTok users (68.2%) [were classified] as

having “no risk” of TikTok addiction, [the study] classified 25.4% as being at “low risk,” and

classified 6.4% as being “at-risk.”’ (Dolan). Considering the large number of users Tiktok has

worldwide, even 6.4% users at risk means that there are nearly 100 million people who could be

facing mental health issues due to overuse of TikTok. The study further explains that signs of

TikTok addiction include “that the user become nervous, irritable, anxious, or exhibits strong

feelings of sadness when deprived of access to the social networking site (withdrawal)” (Dolan).

This clearly indicates that many young people are suffering because of how much they rely on

their social media to keep them occupied, though the data is insufficient as of yet to show just

how many.

Despite all these dangers, plenty still believe that TikTok has its advantages. For example,

it has an easy video editing software, which means that it is accessible and easy to use. Unlike

other platforms which require more skill, everyday people can create TikToks and build a

following, without much capital or training. Furthermore, TikTok is useful for businesses

because its algorithm is sophisticated and targets content well. Therefore, it is a priceless

branding tool to help entrepreneurs grow their audience. The website MakeUseOf elaborates on

yet another reason why TikTok is beneficial: “TikTok community is a trendsetter. When a TikTok

video goes viral, video creators all over the internet follow that concept.” (Arslan). Since TikTok

has these challenges and trends which are not as common on any other platform, it creates a

sense of community among content creators and viewers.

 However, while all these advantages undeniably exist, proponents of TikTok fail to see

the dangerous side of the very benefits they advocate for. To put it another way, the very fact that

TikTok videos are so easy for teens and everyday people to post opens the door to a scary

prospect: minors filming inappropriate videos and exposing personal data to the world without

parental consent. In the same vein, while TikTok helps businesses reach customers and improve

branding, this often takes advantage of young children who impulsively spend money (frequently

their parents’ money) on something they saw online. Similarly, TikTok trends have a positive

side and a negative side. While they can create a sense of community, they can also cause

injuries and property damage, as many have seen with recent vandalism all over the United

States in school bathrooms. Finally, the “sense of community” TikTok videos create is artificial.

As it has been previously established, most of the people who rely on TikTok excessively for

entertainment and happiness face strong emotions of withdrawal when they are forced to step out

of this fake reality (Dolan).

The evidence is overwhelming – TikTok is harming young people’s lives everyday. Its

dangers range from privacy leaks and censorship to body image and addiction issues. Today’s

youth are vulnerable and often don’t understand the full ramifications of their actions. Are the

likes, followers, and temporary entertainment really worth the mental health issues they bring?

Do people really want to risk their personal data just to perform a dance on camera? When teens

really stop to consider the question, the answer is usually “no”. It is an unmistakable fact that

parents, lawmakers, and teens themselves need to place young people’s TikTok usage under

scrutiny before it is too late.

Works Cited
Arslan, Ali. “10 Reasons Why TikTok Is Actually Good.” MakeUseOf, 13 Jan. 2022,

https://www.makeuseof.com/reasons-why-tiktok-is-actually-good/.

Dolan, Eric W.. “New Study Identifies the Most Definitive Signs of ‘TikTok addiction’” PsyPost,

3 May 2022,

https://www.psypost.org/2022/05/new-study-identifies-the-most-definitive-signs-of-tikto

k-addiction-63071.

Duffy, Clare. “TikTok Confirms That Journalists’ Data Was Accessed by Employees of Its Parent

Company.” CNN, Cable News Network, 22 Dec. 2022,

https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/22/tech/tiktok-bytedance-journalist-data/index.html.

Mikhail, Alexa. “TikToks with Billions of Views Spread Harmful and False Messages about

Body Image to Young People. How Parents Can Intervene.” Fortune Well, Fortune, 3

Nov. 2022,

https://fortune.com/well/2022/11/03/tiktoks-spread-harmful-and-false-messages-about-bo

dy-image-to-young-people/.

Treisman, Rachel. “The FBI alleges TikTok poses national security concerns.” NPR, NPR, 17

Nov. 2022,

https://www.npr.org/2022/11/17/1137155540/fbi-tiktok-national-security-concerns-china.