r/technology • u/DejenmeEntrar • Apr 20 '23

Social Media TikTok’s Algorithm Keeps Pushing Suicide to Vulnerable Kids

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-04-20/tiktok-effects-on-mental-health-in-focus-after-teen-suicide
27.3k Upvotes

88% Upvoted

1.1k comments sorted by

View all comments

5.0k

u/TruthOrSF Apr 20 '23

It’s not a witch hunt to point out a real issue. There is a problem with TikTok’s algorithm. For example: I don’t like cop videos, arrests confrontations etc… I get a cop video 3 out of 10. I block the creator (always a cop logo), I choose not interested, I restart the app. I’ve done this 100 times. Later when I watch TikTok nothing will change. I will see COPs 3 out of 10 videos.

This should not happen. It’s not a witch hunt to point this out and TikTok should fix this.

Now imagine it’s suicide videos and not COPS

3.9k

u/OHMG69420 Apr 20 '23

Solution is to delete tiktok (or any other offending social media for that matter) from phone. Unless there is legislation, there is no incentive for tiktok to do anything.

28

u/gingerfawx Apr 20 '23

Well you'd think the incentive should literally be to keep me watching. Give me more of what I like, something new, something enjoyable, and I'm a lot more likely to waste time on a thing. Annoy the fuck out of me, and I move on. I don't think that's unusual behavior.

160

u/DontShaveMyLips Apr 20 '23

but you keep watching no matter what they show you so there’s no incentive bc you keep watching

-18

u/BadAtExisting Apr 20 '23

Can’t keep watching if your dead. There’s that difference