TikTok normalized oversharing, but the risks may outweigh the benefits

Breyana Stewart, Contributing Writer

“Anxious & Insecure” reads TikTok user Abby Choi’s profile biography. Her most popular video garnered 1.4 million views, 194.5 thousand likes and about 4.7 thousand comments as of Feb. 15. In said video, Choi discusses her lack of romantic experiences and her feelings surrounding it. 

Some commenters offered words of support and related to her. 

“There is nothing wrong with you, you’re lovely,” commented one individual. 

Other users took the opposite route and criticized the TikToker. 

“Stop lying to yourself saying you don’t know why. Hit the gym,” said another user.

Choi is just one of many users who have flocked to the platform in hopes of a safe space. Over the last few years, the social media platform has become home to over 1 billion teens and adults alike who often overshare or “trauma dump” their personal moments and experiences in videos lasting up to three minutes. 

Users often recount their experiences with mental health, assault, abuse and other heavy topics that are typically discussed in private settings. As of Feb. 15, the #mentalhealth tag has over 68 billion views, while hashtags surrounding assault and abuse are currently sitting at about 220 million views.

Content surrounding these topics may provide individuals with a safe space and relatable content, but they may also open users up to harassment and a plethora of other harmful consequences.

Cambridge Dictionary defines oversharing as telling “people too much personal information about yourself.” 

Trauma dumping is the oversharing of difficult emotions and thoughts with others, according to psychologist Kia-Rai Prewitt.

There are many reasons why people may overshare. Some individuals may participate in the act in order to seem vulnerable, according to Simon Boag, Macquarie University associate professor of psychology. Others may overshare as a symptom of narcissism or a need to feel relatable. 

Some users explained they often overshare on the platform on purpose. Other users elaborated that while they are not purposely doing so, they tend to regret it afterwards.

Regret is not the only possible consequence that comes along with oversharing on the platform. Other parties may not always agree or empathize, users may experience cyberbullying, stalking and judgment from both online and in-person parties.

Social media users that consume this content may also experience their own set of consequences. When exposed to potentially triggering content, such as videos discussing assault or abuse, users may experience vicarious trauma. Inversely, they may also become desensitized to the harmful content, which may be considered a coping mechanism. 

Trauma dumping is not the only way individuals may virtually overshare. Some users also tend to overshare their children by sharing personal pictures and videos. Before the age of two years old, approximately 80% of children in developed Western countries will have a digital footprint, according to a 2021 United Nations report.

While it may not necessarily be wrong to share these moments virtually, not everyone on the internet has pure intentions.

When parents share their children online, the risk of identity theft, data protection rights violations and child abduction or trafficking increases, said Liezel Gordon, Metropolitan GetUp’s client engagement team lead. 

There is no sure-fire way to avoid the dangers that come along with creating and sharing content online, but there are ways to alleviate some of those risks. 

In a world driven by online engagement, it is natural for people to want to share who they are, their experiences and even their children online. Due to the possible risks, it is important for users to decipher what is appropriate to share online and what should be shared in private, safe spaces and relationships.