CBS News has found that hundreds of extreme weight loss and cosmetic surgery videos were easily found with a simple discovery and were available to a user under 18, in violation of their policies of the stage, CBS News has found.
CBS News created a tiktok account for a fictional 15 -year -old female user in the United States and found that, at least, hundreds of extreme weight loss and cosmetic surgery video account were searched and searched and watchman on stage.
Once the CBS News account interacted with some of these videos, similar materials were then recommended to the account on the “For You” feed of Ticketkok.
Searchable video was with content to caption, such as “nothing seems better than an empty stomach,” What a day in a day “video, which promote restrictive, 500-calorie-diet diet. Published guidelines The US National Institute of Health has suggested that girls between the ages of 14 and 18 are between 1,800 and 2,400 calories per day.
Many videos promoted thin body types as an aspirational goals and included the hashtag “rigid motivation” to pursue excessive weight loss advice.
Some of those videos included messages or slogans such as “Skiny is a status symbol” and “every time you don’t ask for food, you say yes to the thin.”
Community guidelines of Tiktok say that the platform allows users over the age of 18 to look at a restrictive, low calorie diet -promoted content, which includes videos promoting drugs for weight loss or make some types of body types ideal. The Chinese -owned platform also states that it prevents users under 18 years of age watching videos that promote cosmetic surgery without warning of risks, such as earlier and subsequent pictures, videos of surgical processes, and messages discussing alternative cosmetic surgery.
But CBS News found several videos by entering basic discovery terms on the platform, such as “Skinny,” “thin,” and “cail,” who promoted the thin body as an ideal, while also leading harmful weight management behavior. Such a video featured an image of the scale with a weight of 39.9 kg (88 pounds), with a caption called “weight loss” and hashtag “Ed”, which is a common brief name for “eating disorder”.
Another graphic video with the caption “Ana Gives You Wings” showed a series of collar bones and spines to spread a series of models. The term “anna” is a brief name for eating disorder anorexia.
In response to the research of CBS News, a spokesman from Tikokoc on Thursday said that it was “very limited sample based and does not reflect the experience of our community’s vast majority.”
The spokesperson said, “Tikokkok does not allow material that promotes disorganized food or excessive weight loss behavior, and we work with health experts where the in-app supports, where the need is,” the spokesman said.
The spokesman pointed to one Study published in May By the University of Southern California, which found that most of the dietary disorder on Ticketkok is discussed among users about recovery from such situations.
The same study states, however, the platform “has been abolished by dual role in harmful cultural norms challenging both and potentially,” about the body’s image perceptions and food disorders.
A charity in the United Kingdom, which is a charity in the United Kingdom, Gareth Hill said, “We know that it is not an error in the part of Tikokkok and children are coming beyond this material.”
“The question for Ticketkok is, if it is not representative, then why is it an account [created by CBS News]Which is the first place shown in the first place, and then why is it continuing to recommend it? ,
CBS News also found a variety of videos to the Under -18 users to promote various forms of weight loss drug ozmpic and cosmetic surgery. It included videos that were recommended for “for you” feeds, promoting cosmetic surgery such as rhinoplasty, breast growth and liposuction.
In one case, a user said in a voiceover while talking about surgery of their back reduction: “I will die hot instead of live ugly.”
Tickek spokesperson specifically refused to comment on the findings of CBS News, promoting Coming users about cosmetic surgery.
Tikokkok says that many measures have been taken in the last several months to address criticism about the availability of excessive weight loss content on the platform. In early June, the forum suspended the search results for viral hashtag #Skinnytok after the forum criticized with health experts and European regulators. The hashtag was mainly associated with extreme weight loss, calorie restrictions and a video promoting negative body, which is often recommended welfare.
A Ticketkok spokesman also told CBS News on Thursday that #Anorexia discovers words or phrases, motivating users for relevant assistance, including local food disorders helpline, where they can reach further information and support.
“I think we are understanding more and more how this material appears and so still when you ban a particular hashtag, for example, it’s not long until it jumps something similar in its place,” Doren Marshall, which leads to American non -profit national food disorders [NEDA]Told CBS News.
Mar said, “This material is going to be a developed landscape to create guidelines, but also for the platforms, you know yourself and you, while some progress has been made, clearly more that can be done,” Marshall said.
Tikokok is not the only social media platform that has faced criticism for the access of excessive weight loss content.
In 2022, 60 minutes reported On a leaked internal document of the meta, showing that the company was shown through its own research, through the material on its Instagram platform, to promote excessive weight loss and promote food disorders in young people.
At that time, Facebook and Instagram-origin Meta rejected a 60-minute request for an interview, but its global security chief, Antigon Davis said, “We want teenagers to be safe online” and that Instagram “does not allow the material to promote self-loss or food disorders.”
Last year, 60 minutes reported Google -owned YouTube video platform, which is extremely popular among teenagers, was also completing children excessive weight loss and food disorder.
Responding to that report, a YouTube representative said the platform “constantly works with mental health experts. [its] Views for the recommendations of the material for the teenager. ,
Available resources:
If you or someone familiar with you is experiencing concerns about body image or eating behavior, Neda has an independent, confidential screening tools and resources www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
feast There is a non -profit organization that provides free assistance to those who are careful with loved ones suffering from food disorders.
