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TikTok is manipulative, addictive, and harmful to privacy

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Re: TikTok is manipulative, addictive, and harmful to privacy

#141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Facebook, IG, Snapchat and other old social apps already had their fair share of dirt thrown at them. TikTok didn’t, and lots of people think that they are just a cool app for teenagers to record their dancing. So it’s more about telling people who already know that alcohol is bad, that White Claw is also bad.

> TikTok didn’t, and lots of people think that they are just a cool app for teenagers to record their dancing. TikTok was literally attacked by US Presidents of opposing parties in two subsequent terms, and has been credibly threatened with total bans. So it's more like telling people China bad.

Well China, as in the Chinese government, is bad. So I'm fine with that message.

Re: TikTok is manipulative, addictive, and harmful to privacy

#142
post #130

Here's a list of social panics that turned out to be nothing: Kids being poisoned by halloween candy (no child was ever poisoned by a stranger on Halloween) Kids being latchkey kids Violent video games Jazz Hip hop Rap Heavy Metal Satanists meeting up to cut up animals Marijuana Dungeons and dragons (really https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-1980s-media-panic-over-dungeons-dragons) People gassing Euro trains a…

Tide pods challenge?

And other similar dumb lethal challenges?

Re: TikTok is manipulative, addictive, and harmful to privacy

#143
post #24

Point: Tobacco is especially bad for young children. Therefore we must restrict it for children. Counterpoint: Caffeine is bad, too. Therefore, should we also outlaw Coca-Cola for children? The argument that "TikTok is no worse than other social media" is the Counterpoint. TikTok is very bad for children and adolescents, and we should do the difficult-but-honorable thing and prevent them from using it. If that's diff…

I find this argument unintelligible, if not intentionally deceptive. We don't ban tobacco because it is bad, we ban it because it is addictive and causes COPD and cancer. We don't ban bad grammar. The argument that TikTok is no worse than other social media is not a counterpoint, and has absolutely no relation to any rational argument about whether TikTok should be banned. It's a statement intended to raise a simple,…

You want to ban all social media for children under 16/18? Fine with me. There'll be fewer children walking into you on the sidewalk because they're staring at their phones.

Re: TikTok is manipulative, addictive, and harmful to privacy

#144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, that's silly. The overwhelming majority of people probably know just as much as you and I do about the uses to which TikTok puts the data they gather. Which is why conversations about TikTok immediately move into attacks on the Chinese government and Chinese people rather than discussing a single material effect that their data gathering or use has or could have on anyone's life. The difficulty with discussing ma…

> The overwhelming majority of people probably know just as much as you and I do about the uses to which TikTok puts the data they gather. As a very technical person in this industry, do you really think you don't have a better understanding of the data TikTok collects and what it will be used for than Average TikTok User?

Absolutely. Not only do I think that the general public has a good, though vague idea of what their social media data is used for, but I also think they're rationally alarmed about it (aside from the anti-China, anti-Russia, anti-Republican, anti-Democrat talking points they're taught to repeat by people who should be trustworthy.)

We like to call users stupid or confused for using something that is bad, then we only give them one choice. People aren't using Facebook because they don't care about what's happening to them, the use it because it's the only/easiest way to get certain things done and they have other problems in their lives to worry about.

Re: TikTok is manipulative, addictive, and harmful to privacy

#145
post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not that I support Facebook, but it's impossible to be moral absolutist in today's world. You either support western democracy with all it's imperfections or you are supporting authoritarian / totalitarian states. Everyone who pretend to be "politically neutral" will always be helping later. UPD: Yeah I meant "later" and not "former". Corrected.

who is 'you'? white people in the 10% of so of nato;anzac countries? maybe the rest of he world is not interested on keep perpetuating the status quo

> who is 'you'?

Those of us who want to live in countries without concentration camps.

Re: TikTok is manipulative, addictive, and harmful to privacy

#146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah yes. Just as every website comsiders me to be born January first, about seven scrolls down the years.

Online services can only do so much due diligence. Do you want mandatory photo ID & facial verficiation instead? That would be infinitely more harmful to user privacy.

So now we're discussing implementation? Does that mean we've moved on from "this is a good idea"?

Re: TikTok is manipulative, addictive, and harmful to privacy

#148

I'm with the rest of the commenters here in being puzzled about why TikTok is being singled out here with respect to the other social media apps. It's like comparing whiskey, vodka, and tequila in terms of health risks. You can't single out one as particularly pernicious when they do about the same thing.

If it helps bring one down, I say focus on it. Bring down one social media platform, itll shine a light on the rest.

Re: TikTok is manipulative, addictive, and harmful to privacy

#149
post #130

Here's a list of social panics that turned out to be nothing: Kids being poisoned by halloween candy (no child was ever poisoned by a stranger on Halloween) Kids being latchkey kids Violent video games Jazz Hip hop Rap Heavy Metal Satanists meeting up to cut up animals Marijuana Dungeons and dragons (really https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-1980s-media-panic-over-dungeons-dragons) People gassing Euro trains a…

Yeah but just because you made a list of unrelated things, doesn't mean I have to let my kids get addicted to some silly government controlled app. I wouldnt want them to get addicted to gambling, or drugs either. Thatd be a dumb thing to do. The power of marketing is real.

The fact OP included the dark web in this list shows how little they paid attention while constructing this list

Re: TikTok is manipulative, addictive, and harmful to privacy

#150
post #130

Here's a list of social panics that turned out to be nothing: Kids being poisoned by halloween candy (no child was ever poisoned by a stranger on Halloween) Kids being latchkey kids Violent video games Jazz Hip hop Rap Heavy Metal Satanists meeting up to cut up animals Marijuana Dungeons and dragons (really https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-1980s-media-panic-over-dungeons-dragons) People gassing Euro trains a…

Your point is... what? Because some other "harms to children" turned out not to be, that nothing harms children?
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