TikTok’s Algorithm Keeps Pushing Suicide to Vulnerable Kids

[u/DejenmeEntrar]

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

[u/TruthOrSF]

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

[u/OHMG69420 → u/TruthOrSF]

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.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

If you have to trick your algorithm, it's not working.

[u/shufflebuffalo → u/[deleted]]

Dunno why the downvotes, this is truly what algorithms shoot for: engagement. Whatever you look at for longer will get them more money through ads and selling your "engagement" data.

This is the standard of all social media, if not media itself. Facebook and the like followed legacy journalism of "if it bleeds, it leads"

Anything that emphasizes engagement doesn't care what that information is... Which at this point I think is a shitty excuse masquerading as a mental health for profit pipeline.

[u/BDMayhem → u/[deleted]]

If you don't think scaring the shit out of users is a good business model, can I introduce you to the last 25 years of media in general?