AMID talks of a TikTok ban in other countries, Jamaican content creators are pushing back at the negativity that has permeated the social media platform recently, stating that the app has become toxic, straying from its original intent to connect people and create positive entertainment.

The content creators shared that when the app was introduced in 2016 it created a wider, more far-reaching audience for them to share their short-form video content. Once filled with dance routines and Jamaicans sharing a piece of home with members of the diaspora, they said it has taken a turn for the worse in recent times.

Seasoned digital media influencer Tanaania Tracey, whose TikTok following numbers more than 170,000, reasoned that the change in the Jamaican TikTok space is due to creators producing negative content and users interacting with that content.

“I would not say it is the app that is the problem. It’s the people who have access to the app. We who view the content [are] also to be blamed because, on TikTok, the algorithm is not skewed. What you give views to is what will be viewed, so if we are viewing negative opinions or we are viewing negative creators, or creators who speak a lot of negativity, that is what is going to be pushed the most on TikTok, and that is what has been happening,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

“If we were giving light to more positive topics, or more positive influences, then that would have been what’s pushed. We, the audience, have just as big a role to play as the negative creators who are making the app seem like a place of negativity, because there is positivity on the app.

“There is positive influence there, too, but that’s not what we’re giving light to. We want to talk about the bad things and we want to hear somebody’s two cents about some mess that’s going on. Don’t give that light,” she urged users.

Similar sentiments were shared by content creator Toni-Ann Bedassie, who agreed that Jamaican TikTok has become overrun by negative content. She added that the Internet, overall, is a scary place.

“I have to curate my feed in a way where I don’t see all of the mix-up. I feel like every day Jamaican
TikTok is just about mix-up and one bag of foolishness, and it’s just not the same. It used to be fun, but now you really have to curate your own feed,” said Bedassie.

“Because we have freedom of speech, we just feel like we have to comment on everything, and everybody needs to give their thoughts on everything. People are not really thinking about the fact that this is also your digital footprint. They are not thinking about who is seeing it and how what they say can come off a certain way. I know some people don’t care, but you need to care,” she told the Sunday Observer.

Content creator Simon Tomlinson, whose account @Tomo_TV has almost 350,000 followers, shared that while he believes the app has grown to become a more negative space, TikTok is not the only platform where this exists.

“Social media itself has negative influences…Anything can be posted to any platform, so TikTok itself is not the only thing that is unsafe. Social media can be unsafe. I don’t know what security measures TikTok has in place to ensure that certain content isn’t able to be posted or viewed, but I don’t think it is a TikTok-specific problem, I think it is a social media problem in general,” he reasoned.

He shared that he does not think social media as a whole will ever be banned, because it is a large income generator. However, other actions can be taken.

“I do think that there can be more restrictions on social media. You have some apps that give you a warning when you’re on social media for too long, and ask if you want to take a break or start managing screen time better,” said Tomlinson, adding that some of these methods can be adopted.

He also noted that countries such as Australia have banned social media for children under 16, and this is a method that could be explored.

Countries such as India, Iran, and Afghanistan have banned TikTok, stating that the negative content is impacting children and the wider society. There have also been allegations that ByteDance, the Chinese-based company that launched the platform, is sharing user information with China, causing some countries to ban the platform on government devices.

The United States, one of the largest markets for the platform with 170 million users, is also expected to ban the app after the US Government passed a law mandating TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance to sell off the platform by January 19, 2025.

US President-elect Donald Trump has since filed a brief urging the Supreme Court to pause the law that would ban TikTok the day before his January 20 inauguration if it is not sold, to give him “the opportunity to pursue a political resolution”, his legal team wrote.

While the app would still be available in Jamaica, Tracey said that a ban on TikTok in the United States could have a big blow back on some local content creators who make money using the app.

She explained that with the removal of US users, some of which are a part of the Jamaican Diaspora, content creators could see fewer people interacting with their content, especially when they livestream.

During their livestreams, content creators interact with users from across the globe in real time. These users often send them gifts that can be exchanged for money.

According to TikTok, gifts start as low as US$0.01 and can go up to US$500 for a universe gift. Some creators often receive multiple gifts during a livestream. Content creators can also “go live” multiple times in one day.

“I don’t think the gifts would stop, but there would be a decline because, if your audience is now cut in half, whatever gifts you would have received would also then be cut in half, so naturally, your gifts are going to be affected, but I don’t think it’s a case where it would stop ‘cause you do have persons who access TikTok from Jamaica and are gifting you from Jamaica,” said Tracey.

She stated that she does not think she will be greatly impacted by the change, because she has larger audiences on other platforms. However, other content creators who rely solely on TikTok might see a noticeable change.

Meanwhile, content creator Trisan Bent, also known as @Trisanze_Trizzy on TikTok, said that while she does understand the justification for the ban, she feels for those who will be affected greatly.

Bent, in a plea to other content creators, urged them to consider other forms of income so that they can withstand any future changes to social media platforms.

“Social media should never be the core solution for your income, not at this time. I think we are influencing the younger generation to say, ‘I am going to be a content creator,’ but it is not a job that I would say should be your only job or your only source of income. Platforms come and platforms go. That is what people need to remember. We really don’t always have the control over it. Find other legal ways to earn. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” she warned.

TRACEY…If we were giving light to more positive topics, or more positive influences, then that would have been what’s pushed. We the audience have just as big a role to play as the negative creators who are making the app seem like a place of negativity. (Cevan Coore)

The earliest potential date for the ban to take effect, if the sale does not occur, is January 19, 2025, with a possibility of an additional 90-day extension..

BEDASSIE…People are not really thinking about the fact that this is also your digital footprint. They are not thinking about who is seeing it and how what they say can come off a certain way. I know some people don’t care, but you need to care.