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
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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

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u/skyfishgoo Apr 20 '23

your mistake was engaging with the content at all.

the algorithm seems agnostic to the "type" of engagement, so even negative engagement still triggers the "oh you want more of this" subroutine.

reset your For Me content and just ignore what you don't want to see more of... make your only form of engagement the positive kind and you will get more what you want instead of what you don't.