INSIDE TIKTOK'S TOXIC CULTURE
YOU South Africa|9 June 2022
Employees at the video-sharing app reveal their shocking working conditions
NASIFA SULAIMAN
INSIDE TIKTOK'S TOXIC CULTURE

IT'S a bottomless well of fun and frivolity, filled with videos of pranks, beauty hacks and trends, dance routines and pet reels adorable enough to make you forget the woes of the world.

And TikTok's brand of light-hearted entertainment has made it one of the most successful social media apps in the world with more than 50 million active users a day and more than one billion monthly users.

But it's not all fun and games for many of those working behind the scenes of an app sometimes described as "the happiest place on Earth".

Former employees have been speaking out about suffering burnout and severe mental distress because of the almost round-the-clock workplace demands.

In an exposé by the Wall Street Journal, ex-staffers based in the US claim that behind the frothy facade of TikTok lies a toxic culture that has a "confusing" corporate structure with "incompetent management" and a "996 culture" - a system adopted by some companies in China where workers are expected to toil from 9am to 9pm, six days a week.

One woman tells how she felt so much pressure to perform she didn't even feel comfortable going to the bathroom and bled through her clothes instead of changing her tampon.

Former employees describe how stress caused their weight to fluctuate and affected their mental health to such an extent they needed therapy. One woman says she needed marriage counselling because of the strain the working conditions placed on her personal life.

Chloe Shih, a former project manager, recounts how she regularly worked up to 16 hours a day and had to attend mandatory meetings with colleagues in the UK and China, causing her to work from 8am to midnight some days.

"I actually developed a sleep disorder from working so late into the evenings," she says in a YouTube video.

この記事は YOU South Africa の 9 June 2022 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は YOU South Africa の 9 June 2022 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

YOU SOUTH AFRICAのその他の記事すべて表示
PUSHED TO THE LIMIT
YOU South Africa

PUSHED TO THE LIMIT

The unusual relationship between an heiress and her husband has taken a sinister twist

time-read
5 分  |
5 September 2024
HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY
YOU South Africa

HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY

Noor Siddiqui says her company can test embryos for hundreds of conditions from diabetes to Alzheimer's. Critics call it social engineering but she insists she's just giving prospective parents the means to avoid a lot of future heartache

time-read
10+ 分  |
5 September 2024
THE GROWN-UP BRAIN
YOU South Africa

THE GROWN-UP BRAIN

If you think your brain deteriorates as you age, think again!

time-read
3 分  |
5 September 2024
THE eyes HAVE IT
YOU South Africa

THE eyes HAVE IT

They're the windows to our soul - and the first place to show the stresses of everyday life. Juliette Winter reveals expert tips to de-puff, brighten and smooth this delicate area

time-read
1 min  |
5 September 2024
WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER
YOU South Africa

WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER

It hasn't been an easy road but now this bodybuilding couple are making waves in the industry

time-read
4 分  |
5 September 2024
I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!
YOU South Africa

I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!

Annetjie's about to get effective treatment for the skin condition that has blighted her life and she's looking forward to hitting the shops and facing the world

time-read
5 分  |
5 September 2024
'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'
YOU South Africa

'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'

When SA boxer Chris van Heerden's Russian girlfriend went to visit her parents she was thrown in jail and accused of treasonnow he's in a fight to free her

time-read
5 分  |
5 September 2024
SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!
YOU South Africa

SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!

A sun-drenched holiday turned into a living nightmare for those aboard this luxury vessel

time-read
5 分  |
5 September 2024
READY TO SMILE AGAIN
YOU South Africa

READY TO SMILE AGAIN

A groundbreaking surgical procedure will restore this Limpopo teen's badly damaged jaw and teeth

time-read
5 分  |
5 September 2024
HARRY AT A CROSSROADS
YOU South Africa

HARRY AT A CROSSROADS

As the prince turns 40, royal experts paint a picture of a troubled soul- isolated, homesick and struggling to find a purpose in life

time-read
8 分  |
5 September 2024