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TikTok: Christian Beware!

In a kind of ‘sting operation’ on the social media site TikTok, The Wall Street Journal created dozens of automated accounts, also called bots. They set up these bots to understand what TikTok shows young users. These bots, registered as users aged 13 to 15, were turned loose to browse TikTok’s videos.

The videos revealed that TikTok can quickly drive minors (and of course adults, too) into ‘rabbit holes ‘of content focused on drugs, violence, or sex. The article concluded that TikTok only needs one important piece of information to figure out what a user wants: the amount of time you linger over a piece of content. Every second you hesitate or re-watch, the app tracks you.

Through that one powerful signal, TikTok can learn your most hidden interests and emotions, and drive users of any age deep into rabbit holes of content—in which feeds are heavily dominated by videos about a specific topic or theme.

Solomon said, “There is nothing new under the sun” (Ecc.1:9). Sin goes back to the Garden of Eden. Our modern technologies simply package lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life in new ways (Cf. 1 John 2:16).

It’s not a sin to be on social media. In fact, I think much good could come from it. But Christians must be diligent! Think about it – just one video can lead to self-destructive sinful habits. Just one!

How then should we live? Intentionally. Parents do not let your children on social media before they can set boundaries for themselves. Everyone else, what kind of content is popping up in your feed? Would you be ashamed if others knew? Don’t play around; this stuff can be dangerous. Remember, we must be willing to “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).

Michael S. Green