The latest controversial debate to hit TikTok follows a video of a teenage girl seemingly preparing for an abortion. As is often the case with TikTok, the real debate didn’t begin until the video had made its way to a different social media service where it then sparked debate on both sides.
TikTok has become the topic of many conversations lately due to its heightened appeal with younger users, and one of the issues that keeps surfacing is the suggestion the platform has a content problem with too many videos on highly controversial topics. An issue that is made all the more worrying due to the increased number of younger users who are potentially exposed, and even influenced by the content. In recent months, these topics have included drug usage and promotion, as well as challenges that have encouraged users to harm themselves and others. This latest controversial video is unlikely to help calm any of those criticisms.
In a recent video posted by TikTok user @cpcake21, a young girl is seen visiting a Planned Parenthood location and apparently preparing for an abortion. Since then, the incident has been reported on by multiple outlets including Insider, and has attracted attention on other social media sites. In the last few days, many have taken to Twitter to debate the details of the video. For reference, the account that originally uploaded the video appears to have changed to @cheesemarie and replaced the video with a second stating the original was not real. Instead of preparing for an abortion, the TikTokker says the girl was about to get an ultrasound, and that it’s not a recent video.
Latest TikTok Debate A Perfect Storm
Besides the fact the person was a young girl thought to be going through something so personal, the issue of abortion is an extremely hot-button topic in the US, due to the divisions between the pro-choice and pro-life sides. As a result, there has been plenty of people on social media voicing their concerns, including prominent faces, such as Lila Rose – founder of Live Action. Further adding to the controversy is the casual tone of the video, in spite of the serious nature of the situation. This has also led to those who have less of a vested interest in the abortion debate also questioning the video.
Regardless of an individual’s stance on the topic, the video does once again raise a concern over whether TikTok is indirectly encouraging controversial videos, or is actually a service where younger users can voice their thoughts freely and openly. For example, the abortion hashtag has generated more than 73 million views so far, highlighting that this particular video is not an individual example of the conversation on the platform. Likewise, abortion is not the only highly-charged topic that has routinely generated equally high views on TikTok.
