TikTok has been on thin ice lately. Concerns including dangerous challenges, toxicity between users, and issues with security and privacy. These issues surrounding TikTok have caused many parents and users to no longer use the app. The amount of stress and problems it can cause between friends by trying to get famous, and go viral results in many issues. Considering many factors, TikTok is more problematic than it is good for the people. 

Dangerous challenges include the outlet challenge, skull breaker challenge, cha-cha slide challenge, and the eye brighter challenge. The challenges like the outlet challenge have different people put a penny in the outlet, causing it to explode and possibly cause a fire. The skull breaker challenge involves people sweeping someone’s legs out from under them and causing them to “break their skull.” The cha-cha slide challenge is when the driver plays the song “Cha-Cha Slide,” then drives across the road, following the lyrics of the song. The final challenge, The Eye Brighter Challenge, aims to make your eye color brighter by mixing a combination of soap, bleach, and other dangerous substances. As just reading how dumb and possibly very dangerous these challenges are Tik Tok and the possibility of “going viral” causes kids to make these irrational decisions and hurt themselves or others. Every new challenge that comes out has many different young teens trying to be the first to do it and gain clout in exchange for their health.

Additionally, a lot of inappropriate behavior between users can cause many concerns for the safety, and well being of those involved. Many people have gotten cyber bullied on TikTok. For instance, body-shaming happens very often, and being made fun of for how one looks as well. This has been a zoning issue since the beginning of the app. Developers attempted to improve the app’s toxic community by banning users, and having stricter community guidelines. These improvements have done very little to help prevention of this harmful behavior. The app’s community has hurt many teens that already have low self-esteem. Users’ attempts to get “famous” on the app have come at the cost of many young teens’ self-image, and mental health. 

Furthermore, privacy and security concerns about the TikTok app has caused tons of worry about how the Chinese Comunist party is getting people’s personal info and what they do with it. Many parents and experts have argued that the app should be banned and all Americans should have to delete the app. These concerns have good reason, as the app is owned and operated in China with no restrictions on what they do with user information. Many famous users such as Tyler Blevins (aka. Ninja) have deleted the app because of the Chinese data farming. The United States portion of the app is now run by Walmart as they bought a 7.5% stake in the company to control the operations here in America. This transaction has put many minds at ease of the use of the app but should be warned that the Chinese parent company “ByteDance” still owns 80% of the stake in the company and could still sell one’s information to the Chinese Government. 

Social media, and its effect on those who use it has constantly been growing throughout the years. TikTok is just one more example. How users are treated, the dangerous trends, and the security concerns are too much to overlook.