A 'red line' needs to be established with TikTok.

Many young people using TikTok are unknowingly wasting time. Simply opening the app reveals hundreds of thousands of videos constantly playing for viewers . "Reading books or watching movies easily makes me sleepy, but watching TikTok keeps my eyes wide open. Some nights I watch until 3 am without even realizing it," Ngọc Anh (Bình Thạnh, Ho Chi Minh City) expressed.

Harmful information is spreading rapidly on TikTok.

Beyond the nonsensical, pointless, and annoying pranks like: going to the market with only 5000 VND, wearing revealing clothes, or creating fake prison photos with music, TikTok also provides users with terrifying experiences.

In August 2022, a trend of "haunting" young children (locking them in a dark room, playing eerie laughter to scare them, and then the parents running away) went viral on TikTok, shocking and drawing widespread criticism. Children were suddenly locked in a dark room, screaming, crying, and begging, while adults gleefully shared the videos on TikTok as humorous content. This trend of scaring children is extremely cruel, yet many parents eagerly followed suit.

One TikTok page with over 600,000 followers and more than 18 million likes, besides videos reflecting real-life issues (job scams, insurance fraud, school violence, etc.), also exploits crime cases and horror stories that send chills down viewers' spines.

Topics such as sex, massacres, and superstitious stories are popular choices for many TikTokers, attracting a huge audience. It's easy to see that many are finding ways to circumvent the rules, using audio and abbreviations, to avoid having their channels taken down.

Another TikTok channel uses AI technology to create virtual characters that illustrate real stories, often with conclusions reached by authorities. The story of Nguyen Thi Tram Linh, a female student who committed suicide due to school bullying, and the story of Van An, an 8-year-old girl who was abused to death, are both recounted in detail by AI-generated victims. Notably, the meticulous detail of these tragic events raises questions: What is the purpose of these videos? Are they meant to inflict another wound on the hearts of those left behind? Social media platforms like TikTok, with their rapid spread, are contributing to this barbaric behavior.

The rapid spread and superior features of TikTok provide exciting experiences for users, but harmful information, misinformation, superstition, etc., are also disseminated and have a significant impact on users, especially the younger generation.

Sensationalist and offensive trends easily become popular, with many users imitating them. Fabricated information such as Miss Vietnam Tiểu Vi dating businessman Đặng Lê Nguyên Vũ, the marriage contract between Trấn Thành and Hariwon, or the conclusion of investigations regarding artists like Thủy Tiên, Trấn Thành, and Đàm Vĩnh Hưng not embezzling charity funds, are still distorted and fabricated on TikTok and many other social media platforms.

A 'red line' needs to be established with TikTok - 2 — thayphuc.jpeg

"Creating a TikTok channel with clean content might not attract many viewers, but those viewers will be selective, educated, and will stick with you in the long run."

TikToker Teacher Phuc

In July 2022, a fire broke out in Lien Nghia town, Duc Trong district. A user shared a video of the fire along with the comment, "The Duc Trong fire department only went through the motions. And they still took 100 million VND." This person claimed that the fire department received 100 million VND from residents after extinguishing the fire.

Authorities have clarified that the content is completely false and insults the reputation of the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Force of Lam Dong Province. The Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department of Lam Dong Province Police has issued an administrative fine of 5 million VND against the person who spread the false information.

Furthermore, some users exploit TikTok to share distorted narratives and undermine the policies of the Party and the State, causing disunity.

A "red line" needs to be established with TikTok.

Media expert Luong Trong Nghia shared that he is 44 years old this year and is still a fan of TikTok. Before going to bed, he always browses TikTok based on topics that interest him.

"But sometimes trending clips appear on the screen, mostly shocking or sensational content, such as tutorials on how to play dangerous games, or eating excessive amounts of alcohol or consuming strange, unhygienic foods... Even though I know they're nonsense, sometimes I still watch them out of curiosity."

However, according to Mr. Nghia, as someone with integrity, knowledge, and understanding, he knows how to filter information, but young people with less experience and lower awareness will believe it immediately. Fake news and misinformation cause young people to have a distorted and inaccurate view of people, society, and the country.

A 'red line' needs to be established with TikTok - 3 — Communications expert Luong Trong Nghia

"I think it's necessary to review, restrict, or even prohibit individuals and information channels that spread false information, encourage offensive actions, or promote trends that negatively impact the health and thinking of the younger generation," media expert Luong Trong Nghia expressed.

Responding to a VTC News reporter, researcher Le Ngoc Son - a strategic communications and crisis management expert and founding chairman of Berlin Crisis Solutions (BCS) - shared that he has two TikTok accounts, one in Vietnam and one in Germany. Both are generally chaotic and nonsensical, but in his opinion, the German TikTok account is more selective and less nonsensical.

He emphasized the positive impacts that TikTok has brought to the Vietnamese people: “TikTok empowers everyone to have their voices heard: people with disabilities can speak up, vendors, motorbike taxi drivers… all can express their thoughts and feelings. TikTok is also an effective sales channel, a legitimate means of livelihood for many people today. However, TikTok is also spreading a lot of harmful information.”

A 'red line' needs to be established with TikTok - 4 — Researcher Le Ngoc Son suggests that a "red line" needs to be established for TikTok.

"TikTok users are mostly young people, and misleading content, especially culturally, can distort their life values. If these distortions are not corrected in time, they could be a tragedy for a developing society."

More than a century ago, Émile Durkheim, the father of sociology, said that in a society lacking norms, people often exhibit anomie (a state of "non-standardity"). People lack trust in each other, each individual frantically searching for an idol to follow and emulate, and what happens if their idol deviates from the norm? It seems TikTok is creating such anomie! The quality of the idols looks extremely poor,” researcher Le Ngoc Son expressed.

In the long term, Mr. Le Ngoc Son emphasized that if not promptly addressed, harmful content on TikTok will cause long-lasting and serious consequences. "It's dangerous if there aren't appropriate management measures. What would happen if misinformation about national sovereignty and history were widely spread on social media?" he said.

Expert Le Ngoc Son shared his view: "It is necessary to establish a red line with TikTok, to have regulations to manage TikTok, and to issue specific requirements that they must comply with. If they still intentionally violate the rules, they should be severely punished."

Comment (0)