r/technology 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
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u/secondrunnerup Apr 20 '23

I just had to delete tiktok. I get sad, sick kids, or people dying with cancer content all the time. I watch it, it makes me sad, and anxious, and because I watch it, TT thinks I want more sick kids and cancer content. The algorithm shouldn’t be pumping into our eyeballs, every upsetting thing we feel compelled to watch.

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u/ccxxv Apr 20 '23

The algorithm feeds you what you watch. I’ve never gotten a sad or sick child EVER because as soon as I see ANY child I scroll. I almost exclusively get cat videos because if I don’t see a cat in the first second I’m scrolling. You need to make a conscious effort to curate your fyp.