TikTok is a social media platform where users create and share videos up to 60 seconds long. According to Influencer Market Hub, “Most of its U.S. users are young, with 32.5% aged between 10 and 19. A further 29.5% are aged 20-29”. Users on TikTok have reacted to claims of April 24th, 2021 as National Rape Day. Hashtags like #April24, #NationalRapeDay are going currently going viral. TikTok claims that it cannot find the original video or videos that sparked the trend, and USA today put out and article with the title: “Fact check: Viral TikTok trends surrounding warning of sexual assault on April 24 are unsubstantiated”.

One issue with this trend is the way the media is reporting on it. Most of the articles talking about this day are only from the past week. This is problematic because the trend has been circling TikTok for much longer and it doesn’t give parents, schools, or organizations enough time to release statements condemning violence or addressing the threat of violence. Why do I think this is relevant? TikTok’s algorithm allows everyone’s FYP [for-you-page] where users primarily engage in content to contain content that the algorithm assesses the user will ‘like’. TikTok is riddled with confirmation bias in consumption of media: meaning you’re likely to see content that confirms and reinforcers beliefs you already have rather than content expressing different views and opinions. For anyone seeing this trend on TikTok, especially young males, who have a history or predisposition towards violence- this may provide validation that this violence is okay or only okay on this day. Assuming young people are engaging in limited media sources, it is more important that folks from a number of different organizations and associations with youth are able to give statements showing their vehemently against such violence. Parents, school officials, organizations, and the general public calling this out is important. Adults may be consuming information about this trend from media such as USA today.

The second issues is that USA Today and other media outlets didn’t do their due diligence in trying to identify the origins of this trend. In the USA today article: it cites a total of 13 sources; of these 2 of their sources are from Newsweek, 7 are TikTok videos, 3 are general information articles about Sexual Assault Awareness Month and another media outlets article on the topic, and the final one comes from a TikTok spokesperson. Let’s be clear that credible sources are integral for an investigation. This is not enough. TikTok has an agenda for not wanting to surface a video that led a viral rape day that is now trending on social media platforms. The USA today article reporting on this has several issues worth exploring beginning with the article citing minimal sources for tracking down the ‘patient zero’ in this viral trend but then it uses its lack of evidence resulting from a shitty investigation to conclude it didn’t really happen. Hopefully my candid language and my insinuation are clear: this type of spotty research into allegations and quick dismissal of the claims as ‘false’ perpetuate a culture of dismissing allegations of abuse/assault.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the lens through which I examine this ‘trend’ or the impact it had on me as a survivor. My lens is specific, I am a survivor of the type of violence being encouraged by the few that started this trend in the first place and, I have experienced the life-long impacts of rape, first hand. Even in the sentence you just read I come at this from very different truths than the media outlets reporting on this. For one, I believe survivors- I believe someone, somewhere started this trend, maybe as a joke or as a way to increase engagement but it came from somewhere. Given the problems with calling this trend a ‘myth’ or ‘false’ I choose to engage with this content from the perspective of taking this threat seriously. I consider it a real threat of of sexual violence.

As far as impact: I follow many sexual assault survivors and child abuse survivors on this app so I started seeing reactions to the trend back in early April- which makes sense given TikTok’s algorithm that I mentioned earlier, I engage with content created by survivors of sexual violence, so when the community reacted to the trend- I saw it on my FYP immediately. It has been tough. I don’t have a perfectly crafted and analyzed way of saying this: it’s heartbreaking as a survivor of sexual violence to see both a trend like this and the media response to it.

On impact: on the more minor side of things, I took a break from TikTok. It’s tough during sexual assault awareness month to see an increase of media that highlights a trauma that you’ve experienced first hand, and don’t get me wrong: awareness is key, but for those of us who are all too aware of sexual violence already, it’s exhausting. Then, this happens: a few dudes on the internet thing it’d be hilarious or fun to encourage others to rape women. Then, it goes viral, but the media is reporting on it to bring awareness, but the media calls it ‘fake’ or a ‘myth’ or a ‘lie’. It’s exhausting. I’ve had people tell me they don’t believe me: my biological mom, a therapist I had in college, and other extended family.

On a more immediate impact: my abuser is not in jail or prison and was held only minimally accountable for his actions. He has a habit of reaching out to me when I post things like this. I don’t need your pity or your concern or your resources of how I can hold him accountable. I need you to see this reality I face so you can truly engage with the importance I give this threat of violence and the ‘lack of’ quality news reporting on it. I consciously choose to post this article: to call out the media engagement with this trend as further perpetuating cultural norms of dismissing claims of abuse, assault or threats of sexual violence. To call out that threats of violence are never okay and that we ought to take those threats seriously- just like I take the possibility of contact with my abuser seriously.

I worry that there are other young victims/survivors out there who aren’t seeing quality reporting or an appropriate level of concern about the real threat of violence happening on TikTok. I worry parents don’t know and won’t be able to use this as an opportunity to talk to their young kids about consent and how wrong it is to encourage sexual violence; it isn’t funny.

I encourage you to say something about this trend on whatever media platform you can: share this post, write your own statement, or talk to young people in your life about sexual violence and consent more generally. Youth are consuming this media whether you choose to talk to them about it or not. It’s important that they hear a condemning of this violence, and hear that we will listen and believe survivors.

“Listen and believe survivors’ has been a campaign during sexual assault awareness month for years. I guess I believed we were past this. I have a great support system and I have people in my life who believe me, now, but there were points in my life where those who said I was making this up for attention or wouldn’t believe me made up more of the voices I heard.

Let’s stand up, take this threat of violence seriously, listen and believe survivors. I encourage you to share this post, write your own statement or share something for sexual assault awareness month in support of survivors. If you could talk to us- what would you want us to see and hear?