TikTok Trends: The Dehumanizing Impact on Minority Communities in the Name of Entertainment

The consequences of ignorance under the pretense of sharing a laugh

TikTok, the social media powerhouse that’s reshaping the way we consume entertainment, has been hailed as a platform for self-expression, creativity, and viral trends. With its short-form video format, it's given rise to countless viral moments, including a variety of comedy sketches. However, beneath the surface of these entertaining trends lies a darker reality: The potential for dehumanization, especially for marginalized communities.

The platform's trends, while often harmless in nature, can both inadvertently or intentionally perpetuate harmful stereotypes, misrepresent cultures, and exploit the identities of minority groups. What may seem like a harmless meme or viral challenge can actually contribute to the erosion of respect, dignity, and recognition for those who are already fighting to be seen as human like any other.

A major issue in today’s society is the perpetuation of racial stereotypes through trends, and such has been the case for hundreds of years now. The viral success of videos that reduce an entire culture to a punchline may seem like harmless fun to some, yet under the surface it contributes to the normalization of racism. It creates a cycle where certain groups are pigeonholed into one-dimensional, reductive representations, thus stripping them of their individuality and humanity.

Imagine if a video of your face was used as a joke punchline for millions of people to see, for millions of people to profit off of. A current trend all over TikTok involves a video of a businessman being used as a prank where people put him in their Facetime camera. They then call whomever they intend to prank before screen recording and posting the reaction for the entire internet to see and share. For many this trend might seem innocent, but for others it just exposes another aspect of how people of colour are always vilified for entertainment purposes and are never compensated.

That man, one of many unfortunate people who have unknowingly become the faces of various trends and memes, is a real person that has a life, a family, and an identity. This prank is just exposing the idea of reducing the life of an individual as a punchline and perpetuating harmful stereotypes. Trends like these normalize exploitive behavior of using marginalized communities for views and entertainment; Therefore it is more harmful and impacts the affected minorities to an extent that remains ignored by many.

TikTok trends, while fun and engaging, can have a darker side when they dehumanize marginalized communities under the guise of entertainment. From cultural appropriation to the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes, the platform often reduces entire cultures and races to trends for mass consumption. As users of the platform, it’s crucial to recognize the power dynamics at play and strive for a more respectful and inclusive space where all identities are celebrated—Not just as fleeting trends, but as valuable, multifaceted cultures and races that deserve dignity and recognition. By doing so, we can ensure that TikTok remains a platform for true creativity, rather than a tool for exploitation.