Venting Tiktok = psychological superweapon

[DeersCanTalk]

About 30 minutes ago I was walking to the store and four kids on bikes passed me, all four was staring down into their phones, I also passed by a school last week and there were about a dozen children sitting on a bench just scrolling on their phone, mind you these are elementary school age kids. I feel so sad and hopeless after witnessing this, partly because WE are supposed to be guiding them and are the ones responsible for this, whenever i see someone say "kids now are so dumb/brainrotted" i'm like we're the ones who let them become dumb, everyone is born a blank slate and it's up to us to guide them and give them a future. I also felt sad because my early childhood was the best part of my life, I could talk to everyone, had no worries or any outside influence affecting me. With the content and people that are on tiktok (sexual content, sadistic content, com groups, grifters etc) this must have an unbelievable impact on how kids see each other and what it does to their innocence, it's forcing them to "grow up".

The worst mistake of my life was asking my dad for my own pc when i was nine, at the time i was an outlier and basically nobody else had anything electronic besides a simple phone or console. Since then my life has been split into two periods, mainly because i was exposed to things way to early on and started spending all day on the internet which made me lose all my spark and became ostracized by my peers. I can with confidence say that my life would be 1000x better if I had not gotten access to the internet when i did or at all if i'm gonna be honest.

I know this is kinda common sense by now (tiktok being bad) but i feel like it's not being taken seriously at all (like many other things), instinctively i want to but can't really blame their parents (millennials) since when they grew up the most you could do with a phone was communicate and send pictures and the access to forums was very limited and usually only in text. I imagine the only thing parents tell their child is to not send pictures to anyone and not talk to strangers but besides that they probably don't care about what apps their kids download etc, since tiktok is so insidious and looks innocent and fun at first glance they probably don't even notice it. I found this forum on tiktok and I know it says it's 18+ but let's be honest that wouldn't stop someone, especially not a child. Imagine someone as impressionable as a sad child coming across this site.

Mkultra and the hippie movement was at least "somewhat" obvious and has become even more so. Whether or not tiktok and its effects has been coincidental or not it doesn't matter since it has without a doubt become the most effective form of a psychological weapon EVER.

I know there plenty more to say about this but that is what everyone does now anyway , just talk, so i see no point

 

[Throwawaysoul]

Wait until you find out about Facebook, IG/Reels YouTube shorts, Snapchat, Reddit, Roblox, twitter, Fortnite, etc. Spoiler, You're in for a really really bad time.

I'm intrigued, I really need to know what bad experience you had withTikTok that you're hung up on that specific platform as the downfall of society's youth.

>"With the content and people that are on tiktok (sexual content, sadistic content, com groups, grifters etc) "

You just described most of the Internet.

Also, how do you know what kids are doing on their phones? With all due respect, stop looking at kids that aren't your own.

Maybe what you mean is kids on the internet unsupervised in general is a bad thing.

 

[DeersCanTalk]

I'm intrigued, I really need to know what bad experience you had withTikTok that you're hung up on that specific platform as the downfall of society's youth.

I suppose it's the swipe up/down layout and infinite content i'm mostly concerned about, youtube shorts can't compare to the content that is being shown, reels maybe but Instagram is a big no for most parents. Me spending the last 4-5 years of my life on tiktok/reels/shorts made me realise that tiktok is the worst and works as a gateway to many other parts of the internet, namely this website. Plus i think in many parents mind they see tiktok as simply entertainment while instagram is more for posing pics of yourself.

Also, how do you know what kids are doing on their phones? With all due respect, stop looking at kids that aren't your own.

I don't know what you're implying, It's kinda hard to miss when they have the sound turned up to 100.

Maybe what you mean is kids on the internet unsupervised in general is a bad thing.

Yes and in a perfect world this would be common sense, Tiktok being accessible on phones means kids can spend every moment that they are unsupervised scrolling (kids being on break in school for example), with video games it's much harder since the console/pc is usually at home where the parents are in control and can keep watch.

If anyone from my generation allows their child to have internet access they are braindead.

 

[Throwawaysoul]

suppose it's the swipe up/down layout and infinite content i'm mostly concerned about, youtube shorts can't compare to the content that is being shown, reels maybe but Instagram is a big no for most parents. Me spending the last 4-5 years of my life on tiktok/reels/shorts made me realise that tiktok is the worst and works as a gateway to many other parts of the internet

I feel like there's a lot of projection in your theory. Just because you were exposed to bad things on TikTok because specifically looked for these things that you think every child you see outside that's looking at their phone must be consuming the same kind of content as you.
You do realize you're only seeing that awful content on TikTok because you specifically searched and engaged with that content, several times? This includes commenting on videos that you don't like. The algorithm is pretty tight. Sure things slip by but not often I've been on that platform with multiple accounts and haven't seen anything remotely what you described besides the scammers. I know it's there, but there is awful content all over the internet, on tv and in video games. Even Kids can find this page with a pre installed browser. You don't think there's kids on this site? Again, read the room, they may not be allowed on the site, but they're definitely on this site. Ever hear of 4chan? You're in for a super bad time.

phones, I also passed by a school last week and there were about a dozen children

How do you know?

Even if they had the sound up, you still have no way to know definitively it's TikTok, unless you were looking at their screens.

Basically your argument is, I saw some crazy shit on TikTok, every child must be looking at it too.

I've seen some crazy shit with a web browser including this site but I don't think everybody using a web browser is looking at crazy shit or want to die.

I've seen some raunchy things in a magazine that I specifically went out and bought, so obviously everyone reading a magazine must be reading, big cock monthly.

The reason I personally am hung up on your argument, is your projection combined with "save the children" is why shitty freedom restricting laws are past. I get yet Your parents let you look at bad things on the internet, that doesn't mean every child that is looking at a phone is consuming at bad things or even using TikTok's Just because you purposely looked for and engaged with content that isn't child friendly on TikTok , you now think every child you see looking down at a phone is also consuming the same content as you. You endlessly scrolled, sure scrolling is an addiction that was manufactured, that doesn't mean everyone is getting addicted. The boomer energy is off the chain here. Again these boomer / conservative, "I'm definitely projecting" / "save the children" takes are what why freedom restriction laws are passed and why everyone's gonna have to pony up ID to use the Internet.

kids now are so dumb/brainrotted

Observe, who says these kind of things. Again sounds like boomer / conservatives and people without kids. I feel like you fall into at least one of this categories if not more.

 

[DeersCanTalk]

How do you know?

Why are you in such denial lol?? I feel like you need to go outside and take a look for yourself.

Just let the kids be free man! Internet is freedom! My kid's mind is ruined and filled with unusable and brainwashing information? Whatever! At least they're free right?

I couldn't care less how you would raise your kids, if you want to open pandora's box and allow your kids to possibly become addicts than go ahead.

 

[Throwawaysoul]

Why are you in such denial lol?? I feel like you need to go outside and take a look for yourself.

Im outside all the time. Im outside too busy minding my own business and looking at kids isn't something I EVER want to do. Like really, im not going to observe today's youth and assume what they're doing on their phones because in 2000 my shitty parents didn't care enough to know I looked at rotten.com or didn't care enough I was on 4chan or now as a grown ass adult in 2026 I use a specific platform you determined isn't right.
You sound like all the parents that don't like video games . Maybe you should look at yourself…

Again you just told me to go outside and look at kids to make your point…

Ban the whole internet then. You picking one platform is absurd. Why aren't you arguing that browsers are bad? Why aren't you saying this publicly accessible site isn't bad for children with undeveloped brains to be exposed to? Your beef is with one platform. I'm not in denial, i know there's bad things on TikTok, but I also know there's a lot of bad things on all the platforms.

couldn't care less how you would raise your kids, if you want to open pandora's box and allow your kids to possibly become addicts than go ahead.

Video games, energy drinks, candy, alcohol, gambling, drugs, every other site on the Internet that are also engineered to keep us engaged psychologically could POSSIBLY make kids addicts. You're going off on one specific platform, and even though i'm defending that particular platform, what I'm saying applies to anything.

Instagram doing psychological harm to girls this is a fact, and also well researched. The Unrealistic beauty standards, airbrushing , portrayal of perfect lives. Yet, You brushed Instagram off like it isn't part of a problem. Why? Because Instagram didn't affect you personally. Instagram (just one example btw) is just as much of and in your own words a "psychological MK ultra weapon because of the millennial parents".

Sorry friend, replace TikTok with internet and you may have a point. But Also say you support laws that everyone needs to show id to access the internet including this very site. Because your rant walks that fine line and that's what really sets me off.

How many kids to you have? Do they know you're on this site?

 

[DeersCanTalk]

But Also say you support laws that everyone needs to show id to access the internet including this very site.

Quote me saying that i want to restrict this site, I never mentioned that any laws should be made, government can't protect kids online it's up to the parents and with computers/consoles (video games) they have some control but with tiktok they have none (I know restricted mode is a thing but what stops them from just making a new account lol??? Also i doubt most parents bother with this) You seem to just be ranting and making this waaaayyyy more wide than i intended too, bringing up things i never mentioned (drugs? Gambling? lol?), maybe i should have made it more clear that it's tiktok and it's content and short format style of videos and how that affects young children (<10) that i was worried about.

You picking one platform is absurd

How so? When that one platform is the one i have the most first hand experience with and is one of the most popular apps on the planet i don't see how that is absurd at all.

looking at kids isn't something I EVER want to do

This is worrying and odd i hope you realise that, since what you're implying is projection coming from YOUR mind, you do realise you can just look at someone, right????

Instagram doing psychological harm to girls this is a fact, and also well researched

Oh my science! Now parents know not to let their daughter on instagram, what about tiktok??? Is that well researched??? Please, instagram being bad is common sense by now since it's been around since forever.

 

[troubled_puppet]

I agree with you on a lot of the things you said, DeersCanTalk. i never signed up and i dont know what it's about. but from what it sounded like, the algorithm and internet culture on there sounds so aggressive.

I'm not here to argue against which platform is worse. my poison is reddit and YT, and they're both a monstrosity. i fled facebook and twitter, they became monstrosities also . but that's another topic for another day.

And i can't help but feel the Whataboutism fallacies that ive seen further up in this thread from others ignore several differences :/

I have no idea what the criteria is for new users posting on tiktok. Is it easier than youtube? is it easier that insta/facebook?

new reddit accounts cant post in various subreddits because of karma requirements. i can't imagine this makes it easy for teens to create a new account and start posting annoying stuff or bullying each other. it DOES happen and i won't pretend that it doesn't. and everyone else who are adults also bully each other anyway on reddit. i just don't know if tiktok is easier to get started in as a new user.

the other thing that bothers me is that tiktok is interactive with... stitched replies or something? like someone can join in on trends, or take someone's video and make a video response or soemthing, i do'nt know how it works.

these things don't make tiktok more or less uniquely evil than others, but im biased and i have qualms. im a millenial and we did fucked up stuff to try and impress our peers a lot in our teen years. we're seeing that same period of growth broadcasted in real time and i dont think it's going to be healthy.

and for comraderie or 3rd spaces, all social media (tumblr, bluesky, reddit, tiktok, twitter, facebook, insta, all of them,) inherently do not support comraderie, it supports competition in an attention economy market. Getting attention is winning the market, and that attention can be anything, but outrage and weird gets clicks, because that's always how it worked online. it makes me feel frustrated.

those are my two cents, and that's how i'm relating to what you're saying, i wanted to show my support.

we could preach internet safety all we want and beg the parents to do better, but that won't stop anything and it's just discouraging all i can do is just remember that these things aren't my resposnibility and it's not my fault, which is really hard to let go of when i want things to be better and safer.

and i relate to the other part of your original thread opener: i was sheltered from the 90s to the mid 2000s, we lived in the boondocks/middle of nowhere and had bad internet. i got access to the internet after 2009. im sad because it's where i discovered a ton of wonderful hobbies, but it was the first time i made contact with other people on a regular basis. and it was the time where i learned about shock content and bullying. it was rough and i wish it had been different. there's plenty more i could say but yeah.

 

[Throwawaysoul]

Still waiting for you to answer how many kids you have since you're the best parent and you know what's best for the children and all the children you've been observing…………… All the children at the bus stop and the children on bikes looking at < Insert whatever platform YOU think they are looking here>. How many kids have you raised?!!
And do these kids know your on this site? " every time I drive past the bus stop and look at all these kids they were looking at their phones on sanctioned suicide." That's you…

To the white knight that joined the chat… whataboutism ? Again, y'all just don't like a certain platform. Ban the whole internet, apps and web browsers that you don't like INCLUDING this site full stop.