Shocking Revelations About TikTok’s Harmful Impact on Teens Revealed in Court Documents
Recently exposed internal TikTok documents have unveiled disturbing revelations about the platform’s impact on its young users. These findings reveal that TikTok executives were fully aware of the potential harm the app could cause teens, yet seemed largely unconcerned. Among the most troubling issues highlighted is the extent to which TikTok has become a platform where teens are highly vulnerable, and its features have been found to foster addictive behavior, manipulate beauty standards, and, in some cases, enable harmful interactions.
An internal investigation by TikTok, initiated after a report by Forbes, revealed that underage users, some as young as 15, were engaging in inappropriate activities on the platform’s live-streaming feature. Teens were receiving virtual "gifts" from adults in exchange for stripping, with these digital rewards convertible into real money. Although TikTok became aware of these troubling practices, the company’s actions to curb such activity appear limited in effectiveness.
In a lawsuit filed by Kentucky’s Attorney General, a trove of documents revealed further allegations. According to the legal filings, TikTok quantified the exact time it takes to form an addictive habit—just 35 minutes, or about 260 videos, can hook a user. This addictive cycle, driven by TikTok’s powerful algorithm, keeps teens glued to their screens, prioritizing videos that appeal to their interests and vulnerabilities. What’s more, the company actively promoted a "narrow beauty norm," elevating content from users deemed more attractive while sidelining others, amplifying unhealthy standards for impressionable audiences.
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Despite the implementation of tools like screen time limits and parental controls, these efforts have done little to reduce usage. Documents show that TikTok’s time-limiting tools, introduced to mitigate excessive use, resulted in a mere 90-second reduction in average daily screen time. These limits were described internally as more of a PR move to build public trust rather than a meaningful solution to the problem of excessive screen time.
Further details from the lawsuit expose how TikTok’s moderation policies failed to protect underage users. Many children under the age of 13, whose data should not be collected without parental consent according to federal law, have been able to create accounts. Moderators were instructed not to act on reports of underage users unless their profiles explicitly stated their age.
Perhaps most alarmingly, the court filings underscore how TikTok executives knew the app interfered with essential responsibilities for teens, such as sleep and schoolwork. One executive noted the app’s gripping effect, where teens would lose focus on real-life interactions, skipping meals and even neglecting basic needs like sleep due to the platform's addictive nature.
In response to these revelations, TikTok has pushed back, claiming the documents have been taken out of context and that the company has implemented safety features to protect young users. However, advocacy groups and several state attorneys argue that these measures fall short, and the harm to teens—both physical and emotional—continues to grow.
The lawsuits against TikTok, including those from Kentucky and a dozen other states, aim to hold the company accountable for its failure to safeguard its young audience. The documents raise serious questions about the role social media platforms play in shaping the mental and emotional well-being of children and teens. If these accusations are proven, TikTok’s practices could have far-reaching consequences for the platform and its users.
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