Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Let’s get something straight right off the bat. TikTok has finally decided that promoting weight-loss drugs on their platform is about as good for you as a diet of cotton candy dipped in diet soda. That’s right, the social media platform that has been the digital cheerleader for every fad diet, beauty standard, and body trend has suddenly grown a health conscience. Suddenly, TikTok is the bastion of moral and physical wellness? Give me a break.
The irony here is as thick as the protein shakes these ads usually shove down our throats. TikTok says no to weight-loss drugs but yes to every Tom, Dick, and Influencer who winks at the camera while peddling unrealistic body images? Oh please, pull the other one, it’s got bells on!
TikTok’s defense is like a screen door on a submarine — full of holes and not fooling anyone. They claim they want to create a safe and positive environment. That’s rich coming from the same platform that thinks the slap challenge is a form of healthy self-expression. What’s next? Banning all content that isn’t videos of kittens or positive affirmations played over soothing images of rainforests?
It’s Not Us, It’s You
Remember folks, this isn’t about just banning the bad stuff. It’s about selectively deciding which bad stuff gets a pass. You can still show off body transformations that look like a before and after photo of a pumpkin next to a squash. You can still peddle dietary supplements that have about as much scientific backing as my grandma’s belief that vodka cures the common cold.
Why the selective heartburn over weight-loss drugs? Maybe because TikTok’s user base is younger than the audience at a juice box convention. They’re impressionable, sure, but banning just weight-loss ads doesn’t solve the problem. It’s like putting a band-aid on a broken leg and saying, “Well, at least it won’t get any sunburn.”
What We’re Really Swallowing
The crux of the matter isn’t just about what’s allowed or not allowed on TikTok. It’s about the bigger picture. Every day, we’re sold a bill of goods about what we’re supposed to look like, eat like, and act like. And all this comes from the same platform that’s supposed to empower individuality? If that’s not the best example of mixed signals, I don’t know what is.
We’re swallowing this hook, line, and sinker while TikTok plays puppet master to the tune of billions of views. They can say no to weight-loss drugs today, but tomorrow, it’ll be something else they “accidentally” overlooked until someone waved a big enough flag.
Welcome to the Circus
In the end, TikTok’s decision is just another act in the circus that is social media morality. It’s a place where clowns are running the show and we’re all just hoping not to get pied in the face. As long as we keep watching, liking, and subscribing, there will always be another questionable act waiting in the wings.
TikTok, here’s a thought: Instead of banning things willy-nilly, how about promoting content that doesn’t hinge on whether we’re skinny enough, tanned enough, or ripped enough? How about celebrating a little more of what makes people actually people? Oh, but wait, that might not get enough clicks, right? Silly me.
If we’re going to demand better from the platforms that command so much of our attention (and data), then it’s going to take more than just banning the latest unpopular thing. It’s going to take a real gut check on what we’re feeding into every day — both online and off.
And hey, if we can’t get that, maybe at least we can get a few more cat videos.
Source: What happened when TikTok said users can’t promote weight-loss drugs
