this post was submitted on 08 Oct 2024
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67
More than a dozen states in the US have sued TikTok, accusing the social media platform of helping to drive a mental health crisis among teenagers (www.bbc.com)
submitted 1 month ago by tardigrada@beehaw.org to c/technology@beehaw.org
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A bipartisan group of 14 attorneys general from across the country allege that the company uses addictive features to hook children to the app and that it has intentionally misled the public about the safety of prolonged use.

[...]

New York Attorney General Letitia James said young people across the country had died or been injured doing TikTok "challenges" and many others were feeling "more sad, anxious and depressed because of TikTok's addictive features".

She cited a 15-year-old boy, who died in Manhattan while “subway surfing” - riding on top of a moving subway car. His mother later found TikTok videos of such activity on his phone, she said.

[...]

Regulators have launched similar cases against Facebook and Instagram for their impact on young people's mental health.

[...]

The Federal Trade Commission, a government watchdog, accused TikTok in August of violating child privacy laws.

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[–] rainynight65 29 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Teenagers today were born in the aftermath of a global financial crisis, are seeing war after war after war, grow up with the knowledge that the world is going to shit and the older generations aren't willing to do anything about it. They see everyone pull up the ladder behind them, the 'fuck you I got mine' mentality is everywhere.

And TikTok is to blame for their mental health?

Specific to subway surfing: I'm 46, and I know this stuff happened when I was a kid. There were no social media back then to show you, but somehow kids still these got stupid ideas. It seems like social media is just the new video games are the new comic books are the new heavy metal is the new whatever scapegoat society wants to use to blame for its own deliberate shortcomings in bringing up the next generation.

[–] dsilverz@thelemmy.club 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Teenagers today were born in the aftermath of a global financial crisis, are seeing war after war after war, grow up with the knowledge that the world is going to shit and the older generations aren't willing to do anything about it. They see everyone pull up the ladder behind them, the 'fuck you I got mine' mentality is everywhere.

Not just teenagers (Alpha generation), but also GenZ and part of Millennials. I'm personally a Zennial (microgeneration between both GenZ and Millennials) and I feel the same as described in your comment: things are going worse everyday, most of the older generations (Gen X and Boomers) seems deadpanned about climate change, wars, economic crisis, and I'd also add broken dreams (lots of plans were destroyed because of things such as COVID pandemics, for example). It's depressing to know that living will be worse and worse as the time passes.

[–] rainynight65 5 points 1 month ago

Thing is, I am actually Gen X. Early even. And I look at the Boomers and see the generation who kept pulling up the ladder. They got free education and privatised it to make it expensive for us. They got free healthcare and privatised it to make it expensive. They got into the housing market for cheap and started using it as an investment and speculation vehicle, making it harder for each subsequent generation to get into it. They were pretty much the last generation in which it was possible to raise a family on a single income. Climate change is front and center of mind in my generation, we've known for over 30 years what's coming. When you look at those who most fervently oppose climate change action - all old fogeys, and I say that being very conscious of the fact that I am approaching 'old fogey' status from the perspective of Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

I can only imagine how todays teenagers and young adults feel...

[–] ranandtoldthat@beehaw.org 6 points 1 month ago

The effect (purpose?) of moral panics is to maintain the status quo, scapegoating age old problems as new because there's a new aspect.

Anyone focusing on social media or phones as the main problem kids and teens are facing today is part of the problem, whether or not it's intentional.

[–] state_electrician@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

True, but social media amplifies the dumb shit and creates new incentives and pressures to join the idiot herd. And while TikTok is definitely not the only problem, it is a problem.

[–] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 month ago

We're not talking about social media. We're talking about TikTok. Huge difference. People don't complain about IG because it's heavily censored by zios/imperialists.

[–] SattaRIP@lemmy.blahaj.zone 16 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I think the guns and the trickle up economy are far worse. But this isn't actually about mental health, but banning media that shows a non western narrative.

[–] Steve@communick.news 10 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

Is that why Meta is also being sued over the negative mental health effects of Facebook and Instagram?
They too are promoting a non-western narrative?

[–] SoupBrick@yiffit.net 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

The opposite, actually. I do agree that the "ban unless sold" situation with tiktok stems from lack of control over the narrative due to the crackdowns we are seeing on college protests.

https://www.hrw.org/report/2023/12/21/metas-broken-promises/systemic-censorship-palestine-content-instagram-and

[–] tardigrada@beehaw.org 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

@SoupBrick

And why is TikTok (and all other non-Chinese social media) banned in China then? Non-Western.narraties? Palestine? Other reasons?

[–] SoupBrick@yiffit.net 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

My friend, do you think China does not benefit from the destabilization caused by putting the USA's blatant support of the ongoing genocide in Gaza on display for all the world to see? Does China have USA's best interest at heart, no. Is this platform allowing the continued growth of Pro-Palestine support, yes.

[–] tardigrada@beehaw.org 3 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Why is TikTok banned in China, my friend?

[–] SoupBrick@yiffit.net 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Censorship, what does that have to do with the current conversation of the United States attempts at censorship of the Pro-Palestine narrative?

[–] tardigrada@beehaw.org 2 points 1 month ago (2 children)

@SoupBrick

So banning social media platforms for censorship is okay, but if you do the same for protecting children's mental health it is not? Isn't that weird?

[–] SoupBrick@yiffit.net 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Ah, a troll gotcha. Nowhere did I say China was good. That is just a bad faith take. I was hoping you were actually trying to learn. Don't bother responding, you are blocked.

[–] tardigrada@beehaw.org 2 points 1 month ago

@SoupBrick@yiffit.net

Nowhere did I say China was good. That is just a bad faith take. I was hoping you were actually trying to learn. Don't bother responding, you are blocked.

It is a 'bad faith take' if one thinks that 'China is good'? Is that right?

[–] Sauerkraut@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 1 month ago

Car dependency has created a world that forces children to live online since they can't do anything outside without their parents driving them around. So I just don't see how banning TikTok does anything to address the root problem. Banning Tiktok does nothing to solve the root issue of lacking 3rd places and community.

[–] homicidalrobot@lemm.ee 2 points 1 month ago

Because they have Douyin.

[–] SattaRIP@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

They're not trying to ban them though. And fines are nothing to a multibillion dollar company.

[–] Steve@communick.news 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

The federal ban is for ByteDance not TickTok.
And that's unrelated to the states filing this law suit.

[–] tardigrada@beehaw.org 5 points 1 month ago (2 children)

banning media that shows a non western narrative.

Which media show a non-Western narrative? TikTok? Facebook? Instagram?

[–] DancingBear@midwest.social 8 points 1 month ago (3 children)

The cable news networks are losing their chokehold on media. Young people can see the truth that the government and the media are lying about daily

[–] yetAnotherUser@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Young people see news influencers on social media which are even less trustworthy than traditional news outlets.

It's the "I did my own research" of news.

[–] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

TBH the news that I get from social media is usually first-hand accounts and footage. It's far superior to the extremely filtered and propagandized disinformation coming from capitalist media outlets.

I think any child could recognize the difference and that's why media outlets want to ban the competition. This won't make kids happier.

[–] tardigrada@beehaw.org 6 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Is this the reason then why TikTok is already banned in China, TikTok's parent company's home country? Because media there is lying?

[–] homicidalrobot@lemm.ee 1 points 1 month ago

Because they have Douyin.

[–] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 month ago

Yay for china banning stuff! \s

[–] orca@orcas.enjoying.yachts 13 points 1 month ago

The TikTok ban used to be about trying to squash pro-Palestine sentiments and media. I guess this works too.

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/israel-palestine-hawley-tiktok-war-hamas-ban-josh-rcna124013

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/08/business/tiktok-accusations-anti-israel-content.html

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/lawmakers-tiktok-ban-pro-palestinian-content-1235016101/

[–] DancingBear@midwest.social 7 points 1 month ago

They want to hold social media companies liable for allowing their user base to call for an end to genocide in Palestine.

[–] tardigrada@beehaw.org 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

TikTok’s ‘blackout’ challenge linked to deaths of 20 children in 18 months, report says - (December 2022)

TikTok faces lawsuit over ‘blackout challenge’ death of 10-year-old girl -- (August 2024)

Blackout challenge -- (Wikipedia)

The blackout challenge is an internet challenge based around the choking game, which deprives the brain of oxygen.[1] It gained widespread attention on TikTok in 2021, primarily among children.[2] It has been compared to other online challenges and hoaxes that have exclusively targeted a young audience.[3] It has been linked to the deaths of at least twenty children.

There is much more on that across the web.

[–] TexMexBazooka@lemm.ee 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I remember this being a thing before tik tok

[–] tardigrada@beehaw.org 1 points 1 month ago (2 children)

This 'blackout challenge' on Tiktok was a thing before Tiktok?

[–] TexMexBazooka@lemm.ee 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Way before TikTok yeah. I remember almost the exact same headlines like 15 years ago in middle school.

[–] tardigrada@beehaw.org 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Then it's time to ban this.

[–] meowMix2525@lemm.ee 3 points 1 month ago

Ban kids making up dumbshit challenges and attempting them?