Still, there are also drawbacks from being a TikTok personality, said those interviewed, with some lamenting the loss of their privacy.
Recalling how someone had interrupted his date for a photo request recently, Mr Chua said that he tries not to leave his house as far as possible and sticks to areas with fewer people to avoid being approached or recognised on the streets.
The TikTokers also cited hate comments as another hazard they have to face. As it is fairly easy to sign up for a TikTok account and remain anonymous on the platform, the problem is exacerbated on TikTok compared with other social media platforms, they said.
Ms Ainul said that she uses TikTok’s filter feature to block out inappropriate words about her appearance or religion. These include words related to weight, vulgarities or Islamophobia.
Nevertheless, she noted that given the type of content she produces, the level of hate comments directed at her is still far lower compared with other TikTokers, including those with larger followings.
The TikTok spokesperson said that the company “does not tolerate bullying on its platform” and has developed several safeguards against it.
These include the removal of comments that go against TikTok’s community guidelines, such as those which involve harassment or bullying, and hate speech.
TikTok has also partnered with digital safety organisations in Singapore such as the Media Literacy Council to launch campaigns that prompt users to think before they post or comment on videos.
EXPERTS ON THE DOUBLE-EDGED IMPACT OF TIKTOK’S RISE
As with all other social media platforms, TikTok comes with the good, bad and ugly, said experts.
On the plus side, SUTD’s Prof Lim highlighted how TikTok — with its ability to let anyone broadcast themselves — allows smaller, less visible communities, such as those with medical conditions, to band together.
It has also given regular folks with seemingly mundane lives an avenue to become famous, unlike influencers on other platforms such as Instagram, which is usually associated with glitz and glamour, said Prof Lim. She cited the example of how Mr Raymond Lim, better known as Uncle Raymond, had risen to fame by broadcasting his dances outside MRT stations on TikTok.
Dr Crystal noted how TikTok became accepted as a mainstream application — and not just a platform for young people — when it was used in social justice movements.
For example, in Asia Pacific, TikTok was adopted as a means for the climate justice movement to organise marches in late 2019. It also became a site for young people to talk about anti-Asian racism when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in East Asia and Southeast Asia in early 2020, said Dr Crystal.
Some observers also pointed to how the Black Lives Movement in June 2020 tapped TikTok for social advocacy. During that period of protests, the #blacklivesmatter hashtag trended on TikTok and provided an avenue for users to share educational resources on the issue.
Despite its upsides, TikTok has also received its fair share of criticism.
WKWSCI Assistant Professor Saifuddin Ahmed noted that there have been more widespread discussions surrounding censorship, privacy, and surveillance on TikTok compared with other social media platforms, although these issues are not necessarily specific to TikTok.
This is due to allegations of data mishandling and TikTok bowing to pressures from the Chinese government on how the data is used, he said.
Prof Lim also raised concerns about how TikTok’s algorithm has been designed to keep users on the platform longer, generating the fear that its algorithm could draw users into harmful content such as reckless and risky acts, eating disorders or substance abuse.
However, Dr Crystal said that there are echo chambers in every social media platform, and echo chambers are worse in closed messaging groups such as WhatsApp or Telegram where there is no third party to vet or challenge the content.
She also argued that while TikTok’s For You Page “does groom and understand your preferences”, the app’s users are “more likely to chance upon content that’s not connected to your egocentric profile, that’s also not connected to your personal network of people you follow”.
This also means that in comparison, TikTok users “end up being a pedestrian in more subcultures than you would in other social media”, she said.
TikTok said that its recommendation system, the For You feed, is central to the TikTok experience. Recommendations are based on several factors including user interactions, video information and device and account settings.
The spokesperson added that TikTok is aware that one of the “inherent challenges” of recommendation engines is that they can “inadvertently limit (a user’s) experience” sometimes referred to as a filter bubble.
“We recognise these concerns, and continue to strike a balance with optimising our For You feed for personalisation and relevance, while also helping users find fresh content and uncover new creators,” said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson added that while safety is at the heart of the recommendation system, that did not mean that serious or controversial content did not have a place on the platform, which is ultimately built to support users’ diverse thoughts, experiences and interests.
The Big Read: Watch out Facebook (and the world), as pandemic-fuelled TikTok boom unleashes the good, bad and ugly & Latest News Update
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