Welcome to the Thursday edition of Internet Insider, where we explore identities online and off. Today:
- ‘Black Lives Matter’ is flagged on TikTok as inappropriate content—but ‘white supremacy’ is not
- Is it safe to send kids back to daycare when parents return to work?
- Self-care: Dozing off
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BREAK THE INTERNET
‘Black Lives Matter’ is flagged on TikTok as inappropriate content—but ‘white supremacy’ is not
A viral video posted on Monday allegedly exposed what phrases TikTok qualifies as “inappropriate content” in its Creator Marketplace.
TikTok Creator Marketplace is a platform that allows creators to connect with brands for sponsorships and paid campaigns. In his now-deleted video, Ziggi Tyler, a creator with over 340,000 followers, seemingly revealed that every phrase with the word “Black” was flagged by TikTok for being inappropriate.
“Pro-Black, supporting Black Lives Matter, Black success, and Black people” are among the few phrases that are flagged as inappropriate, Tyler demonstrates. When he replaces “Black” with “white,” he is allowed to continue and set his marketplace rate. Furthermore, the phrases “white supremacy” and “I am a neo-nazi” are not flagged.
“This is why I’m pissed the fuck off,” Ziggi Tyler says in the video. “We’re tired. The same adjectives I was using to describe us [Black people] on this app, it’s allowed.”
The video garnered more than 1 million views, and people in the comments tagged TikTok to demand an explanation. TikTok did not immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment.
In June of 2020, TikTok issued a statement addressing censorship and content suppression accusations. Black content creators expressed frustration over cultural appropriation and trends created by Black people becoming popular by white creators without giving credit. Other Black creators voiced concerns about videos being removed without explanation or being flagged for hate speech.
–Jennifer Xia, contributing writer
FROM OUR FRIENDS AT NAUTILUS
Is it safe to send kids back to daycare when parents return to work?
Now that more than 157 million Americans have been vaccinated, places of work are opening back up, and those with kids may need to seek childcare solutions. For folks who are hoping to go back to the office, is it currently safe to send kids back to daycare?
The answer depends on a number of factors.
The possibility of kids contracting the coronavirus should be at the forefront of one’s decision-making. The consensus among experts so far is that COVID-19 very rarely results in serious illness among children. But the CDC still recommends exercising caution because like adults, kids can be infected with the virus, can get sick from it, and in some cases, spread it to others while showing no symptoms.
Another thing to consider is the ability of one’s child to get vaccinated. The Pfizer vaccine has been authorized for adolescents 12 and above, and Moderna recently announced that it had submitted an application for FDA authorization for adolescent use.
Choice of daycare is also crucial. Make sure that the CDC’s guidance for childcare program operations during the pandemic is being followed, like masking indoors, physical distancing, regular hand-washing for kids and adults, and stringent disinfection practices—especially when it comes to sanitizing toys and stocking enough cleaning supplies.
At the end of the day, the decision to send kids back to daycare when parents return to the office will rely on a family’s particular situation, availability of resources, flexibility in schedule, level of comfort, and overall tolerance for risk.
SELF-CARE
Dozing off
I have a love/hate relationship with naps. I always sleep too long, despite what sleep experts have been telling us for years, and I wake up groggy and disoriented for the rest of the day.
But sometimes a nap is just the thing. Particularly during the hottest weeks of the year—in Salt Lake City, high temperatures are in the low 100s this week, which is nothing compared to what other states in the North East are experiencing—the malaise sets in, and I’m sleepy. I’m especially lulled into sleep when I watch sports on TV or after spending a day in the sun. My ideal nap would be on a humid screened-in porch, cicadas humming and a glass of iced tea after I wake up. But I’ll settle for a couch nap with a cat curled up at my feet.
I try not to nap-shame myself. Sure, I could be doing something more productive, but midday dreams tend to be more vivid and even sometimes inspire me creatively. If a lazy afternoon doze is what I need to get through the dog days of summer, so be it.
–Kris Seavers, IRL editor
Today’s top stories
| ‘Fill her up’: Bartender gives woman a glass of water when the man she’s with orders tequila shot |
| ‘I don’t think my store has even sold one’: Whataburger employees take picture with first customer who bought a burger box |
| ‘It was a template used by anyone in the company’: Travel agent’s ‘condescending’ out-of-office email reply sparks debate |
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