Skip to main content

The Dangers of TikTok and Its Monumental Impact

 

Created by ByteDance in 2016, TikTok is a popular social media app that has become a phenomenon since its worldwide release in 2017 and has been downloaded approximately 49 million times as of 2025. The app is infamous for providing short videos lasting less than a minute, with many visual effects on the screen and catchy music to keep viewers engaged. Given the fast-paced nature of the app, TikTok users create a series of challenges to gain social recognition and validation, ranging from humorous to outright dangerous and even leading to misinformation.

A recent example of a TikTok challenge that has gone wrong is the “Door Kick Challenge,” which, as the name suggests, depicts TikTok users filming themselves kicking down doors. Willets (2024) notes that minors are primarily performing the challenge. Those minors will be charged with trespassing. Additionally, TikTok impacted the mental health of millions, which is especially concerning given its addictive nature, even with the TikTok staff often banning dangerous trends.

Moreover, even with the app being banned in some countries worldwide, those attracted to TikTok commonly suffer from severe loneliness and lack of motivation for other activities or hobbies. Denton (2025) notes that despite its issues, TikTok has some positive aspects, such as being a good way to discover estate finances and a tool for smaller business companies to track customers.

However, with that said, even with those redeeming qualities, TikTok is still a dangerous app that does more harm to society than good. The frequency of challenges to gain recognition causes overwhelming pressure and mental health concerns for those who participate in them.

 

References

Denton, G. (2025, February 6). TikTok ban: Effects on individuals and society in the absence of the App. Kentucky Law Journal. https://www.kentuckylawjournal.org/blog/tiktok-ban-effects-on-individuals-and-society-in-the-absence-of-the-app

 

Willets, M. (2024, November 15). The “door-kicking challenge” on TikTok can lead to kids being charged with a crime–what parents should know. Parents. https://www.parents.com/door-kicking-challenge-on-tiktok-8745249

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Art Analysis: “Batman” by Lino Tagliapietra

Remember: Don't confuse this with the Dark Knight.   Created in 1998 by Lino Tagliapietra, this glass artwork takes heavy inspiration from Australian tools such as the Boomerang. The design of the glass artwork bears a striking resemblance to Batman’s Batarang weapon due to its shape, although the infamous DC comic book character of the same name has no relation to this glass. Batman uses a simple yet effective color palette of red and blue, in which the former color makes up a quarter of the paint used, while the latter is utilized in the middle of the glass. The glass texture on Batman features a wrinkle-like appearance, and the U shape of the glass conveys a sense of emotion. The design choices for  Batman  are clever and effective. Lino strategically uses only two colors, red and blue, which are usually associated with joy and freedom. As a result,  Batman  perfectly captures the feeling of positive energy. The design of  Batman  is very organi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Week 5 UX: An Observation on Twitter/X

Twitter, a social media platform acting as a microblog, was created in 2006. In 2023, it was rebranded as X, with a stylized letter X replacing the bird as its logo. For this post, I'll call it Twitter.  Using 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design, I'll explain what's wrong with this social media app. Twitter has inconsistent icons for actions, which will confuse users. An example is the share icon on both the web and mobile versions of Twitter. Violation Score: 3 Twitter is poor with User control and freedom due to its habit of constantly changing its layout every few years. Violation Score: 4 2006 2014 2023 Twitter's Flexibility and efficiency of use are poor. For example, there is no way a user can sync drafts or threads between web and mobile. Violation Score: 4 The mobile Twitter App Aesthetic and minimalist design is flawed due to the overall layout. An example would be the spaces feature, which takes a large portion of the viewing screen, causing clut...
Post a Comment
Read more

Art Analysis: The Persistence of Memory!

This famous painting from 1931 is one of the most influential works of art ever produced. This surrealistic painting is notorious for its bizarre yet consistent aesthetic and color palette. The variety of colors and shading is what shapes its iconic environment. Its influence still applies to many abstract works of the modern era and is even referenced in shows such as The Simpsons. I always found the clocks in the painting symbolic in that they are a visual metaphor for how time flies fast and waits for no one. As for the ants on the watch, I think they represent the process of decaying after death, which makes sense as ants eat dead bodies in real life as well. The odd creature, the most famous portion of the painting, seems to be an exaggerated caricature of Salvador Dalí himself. In a way, this creature may represent how a person would live in a dreamscape.
Post a Comment
Read more