TikTok's Latest Trend Shows Men 'Fantasizing' About How They Would Kill Women They Take On Dates
Women have rightfully condemned the horrifying video.
TikTok TikTok’s latest trend has become a cause for concern for many of the app’s users.
The trend largely involves young men, including teenagers, posting videos of themselves with accompanying text about how they would kill or assault a woman while on a date.
The text often details a gruesome scenario and ends with “and then you f—ing die,” or variations of it.
The TikTok trend highlights how men perpetuate male violence against women.
TikTok has taken down some of these videos, however many of them have remained up and new ones continue to be posted. The videos have gained thousands upon thousands of likes and views.
Some users on TikTok and other social media platforms have spoken out against this trend and called for action to shut it down. A TikTok user by the name of @soogia1 posted a video to the app strongly condemning the trend and the users who took part in it.
“Granted, I know I’m an older lady on this app and there are a lot of things that I don't get and things that aren’t for me and that’s fine, and there are definitely trends where I look at and I’m like, ‘that’s definitely not for me,’” she said in the video. “But this one is so f—ing troubling, I have to ask like, am I missing something?”
People have specifically raised concern over how these videos are normalizing male violence against women.
“There is a trend on TikTok of young men creating scenarios where they violently kill women they go on dates with,” wrote a Twitter user with the username @belivetsgloves. “Do they realize that women fear this every time they go out with men on dates?”
She shares a video in which a TikToker compares the disturbing "fantasies" in these TikToks to actual crimes men have perpetrated against women in order to highlight the gravity of the ideas shared by men and boys on TikTok.
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There is also a variation of the trend where men seem to be encouraging violence against a woman who left him for another man, usually by the other man.
Comments on these videos have also alarmed people. Many users have been actively encouraging the original posters of these videos with comments such as “Goes around come around,” and “God works in mysterious ways.”
The "trend" has far-reaching implications.
Many have noted how the trend’s message compounds with already high violence rates against women.
According to data from the CDC’s National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, roughly one in four women in the U.S. have experienced some form of sexual or physical violence by a partner in their lifetime.
Over 43 million women have also reported experiencing psychological aggression from a partner.
The CDC data shows that violence between romantic partners is especially common with younger people. Roughly 11 million women who have experienced intimate partner violence say they first experienced it before turning 18.
With social media becoming such a huge part of our everyday lives, it is crucial to understand the influence it can have on both the people who post and the viewers. The people who have taken part in this trend have clearly shown they lack that understanding.
If you or someone you know is suffering from domestic abuse or violence, please know you are not alone and there are resources for you to get help.
For more information, resources, legal advice, and relevant links visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline. For anyone struggling with domestic abuse, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). If you’re unable to speak safely, text LOVEIS to 1-866-331-9474 or log onto thehotline.org.
Jonathan Alfano is a writer who focuses on news and entertainment topics. He majors in journalism at the University of Central Florida with a minor in sports business. Follow him on Twitter.