main claim - TikTok is a trustworthy source for information

Question

Is TikTok a trustworthy source of information? There are claims that people use TikTok more than they use google.

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2022-09-14-teens-now-turn-to-tiktok-more-than-google-but-not-for-schoolwork

Comments

Whether or not TikTok is a trustworthy source of information, in the long run, does not actually matter. With most 'news' on the app being purely opinion or that of conspiracy, it's addicting. People will still flock to the platform to escape from whatever real problems they are facing in their lives in exchange for briefings on our worldly communal problems; or more accurately, what their favorite influencer is dealing with. TikTok is not a news site, it is a social media platform that occasionally dabbles in the world's affairs.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/tiktok-isnt-a-reliable-search-engine-for-news/

---

@neive.mc good explanation and source. Don't forget to add a rating to your fact-check next time. Something like "not misinformation, true" would work.

Answer 1

Many people use TikTok and many other social media platforms to find information about current issues. However, TikTok is a platform that spreads misinformation all of the time. A study was conducted to discover how much misinformation is spread on Tik Tok. Out of the 27 videos that were researched, none of them provided evidence to support their claims. This means that people are taking in information without knowing whether it is true. 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1477513122000961

Comments

This is a great answer to the claim. You provided a source and and explanation. Don't forget to rate the claim using any of the following:

True
False
Exaggerated
Opinion (opinions can't be factchecked)
Misinformation
Likely misinformation
Likely not misinformation
Not misinformation

---

This fact check identifies a valid issue of misinformation, it uses a peer-reviewed report that can be considered credible. However, the response relies on this study with a small study size of only 27 videos to reach broad conclusions. It seems that most academic research into the misinformation spread on TikTok, as in the referenced article, investigates health-related contexts in particular. These studies conclude similar findings, that TikTok is not a trustworthy source of information. In a study on Dissociative Identity Disorder (Munoz et al., 2023), with a larger sample size of 97, only 5.2% of TikTok videos were classified as useful. Another study (Kong et al., 2021) related to diabetes content identified that the type of uploader plays a crucial role in the reliability of the information presented. They found nonprofit organisations posted higher quality content in comparison, for-profit organisations uploaded videos with less reliable content. This introduces another dimension to consider, suggesting that the reliability of information shared in a TikTok is influenced by the motivation to post the video. This suggests that it is not impossible to share credible sources on the platform, however, users need to think critically about the content they consume. TikTok could aid this by promoting videos from verified, reputable sources and implementing stricter content policies to minimise the spread of misinformation.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666915323002445?via%3Dihub

https://www.jmir.org/2021/9/e30409

Answer 2

TikTok is most likely not a trustworthy source of information. While TikTok is a great place for people to share their experiences, there is minimal fact-checking technology or monitoring of what people can say or post.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/08/opinion/tiktok-facebook-youtube-transparency.html

Not misinformation.

Comments

I like that you stated the claim is "not misinformation" and used a source. However, using an opinion piece from a reputable news outlet is one approach, but you can dig a bit deeper and find more information and non-opinion pieces on the matter. For instance Mashable found that 20% of what's posted to TikTok is misinformation. https://mashable.com/article/tiktok-misinformation-report-newsguard-abortion. That would be good supporting evidence to demonstrate that the claim is not misinformation.

Answer 3

I would say that people should be wary of both tiktok and google as a source of information gathering. As both websites don't provide much moderation of the validity of the content shared. Its important to do additional research into the sources and information they provide.

Comments

Nice to hear your personal view on this. Don't forget that fact-checks need evidence to support them such as reputable media reports or academic research (in the form of a URL). Also, don't forget to add a rating, such as "not misinformation, true."

Answer 4

The TikTok resources are not really reliable because they tend to be biased. The information that people view is filtered by their tastes. An extremely little counterargument of the same thing would show.

https://mundismillmedia.com/1820/uncategorized/is-tiktok-a-reliable-source-for-news/

Comments

Good explanation. Also, to better support your answer, you can dig a bit further and find statistics and quotes from experts in the field who outright say that TikTok is not a reputable news platform (more recent news pieces on this below). The source you used is a high school student piece so it doesn't have as much weight as a legitimate media outlet. Lastly, don't forget to add a rating, such as "not misinformation, true."

https://www.cnet.com/news/misinformation/tiktok-is-a-misinformation-minefield-dont-get-tripped-up/
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/04/technology/tiktok-deepfakes-disinformation.html
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220914-tiktok-search-results-rife-with-misinformation-report

Answer 5

To be simple, no, TikTok is not a reliable source for most information. There are a few creators that can be honest and truthful, but at the end of the day, most of the information on the app is purely for entertainment and engagement. According to https://www.captechu.edu/blog/tiktok-and-war-misinformation, when people first interact with fake news, they are more likely (due to the algorithm) to see more fake news. This then starts a cycle of constant misinformation being fed to users. Some examples of this from the website are: "In 2020, a video falsely claimed that consuming garlic could prevent COVID-19, leading to widespread sharing despite a lack of scientific evidence. In 2021, another video falsely claimed that COVID-19 vaccines were magnetic, causing some individuals to question and even refuse vaccination. And scores of videos have created and amplified claims that 5G technology causes cancer."

Claims like this can cause not just the spread of misinformation but also harm to the people being fed this information. A study from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11150891/?utm was conducted on health information on TikTok being seen by young women. The study shows that TikTok is a significant source of health information—65.5% intentionally seek it and 92.4% encounter it unintentionally. While 98.2% believed misinformation on TikTok was prevalent, many perceived others to be more susceptible than themselves.

A study from the University of Chicago states that roughly 50% of TikTok health-related videos contain misleading or false claims. https://biologicalsciences.uchicago.edu/news/health-information-tiktok?utm_

At the end of the day, I do not think that TikTok is a reliable source for information, and claims that you see should not be taken to heart if they are not backed by a reliable source.