cross-posted from: https://programming.dev/post/36070056

Current and former TikTok employees have raised concerns internally about how the app’s popular algorithm could hurt young users’ mental health, a newly unsealed video presented as evidence in a North Carolina lawsuit against the company shows.

‘You never want to leave:’ TikTok employees raise concerns about the app’s impact on teens in newly unsealed video | CNN Business

(lite.cnn.com)

Look at all us old fogeys glued to our phones. Imagine being raised off staring at phones and social media.

What's scary is the new regime has a vested interest in poisoning our kids in this very manner, just like they are doing in our schools and libraries. It's up to the parents to save the next generations, because they will face challenges that i don't think any of us can really truly imagine at this point.

Seriously scared about my kids getting to be old enough to want social media. It's already so tough trying to explain why I don't want them watching certain YouTubers.

I honestly feel like I'm sounding crazy talking to them about all the clues that these aren't people that they should be watching...personalities putting out content that's objectively brain rot for kids, and obsessed with material wealth, and acting like an Influencer lifestyle is attainable and even desirable.

Teaching them about logical fallacies and how to spot them may be the best defense against these types of personalities imo. Many influencers that you’re concerned about try to prey upon these fallacies, so teaching your kids to spot them can help them to realize those people are full of shit.

Curating their content a bit to include more people you want them to be like can help as well, at least then they can have good people to look up to.

If your kids think you have their best interests in mind, I feel they’re less likely to push back and more likely to respect the boundaries you put down.

Oh for sure. One of my kids favorite personalities is Mark Rober, who I also mostly approve of. It's just tough when he does collabs with people who I think are shallow and devoid of content, like Unspeakable. He strikes me as the type of channel who would be a stepping stone to mens rights/incel and then Joe Rogan.