Staffers to other lawmakers on both sides of the aisle also reported hundreds of calls to their offices, from app users young and old, who did not have a clear idea of either who or why they were calling.

A spokesperson for Dusty Johnson told the BBC his office had received calls from people who were very upset, as well as "some people who are asking kindly if TikTok is going to be banned, and some have said TikTok wouldn't let them on the app without calling their [representative]".

"I am deeply troubled by reports of young people calling Congress, threatening to commit suicide or otherwise harm themselves," Mr Torres said in a statement to the BBC.

"The iron grip that TikTok has on the minds of young people is a profound public health hazard."

Callers range from teenagers to the elderly, and most are "really confused and are calling because 'TikTok told me to'", one Republican staffer revealed.

Florida Congressman Neal Dunn's office told the BBC it has received more than 900 calls from TikTokers, "many of which were vulnerable school-aged children"

[–] hello_hello@hexbear.net 72 points 8 months ago

TikTok is literally forcing Americans to participate in a consultative democracy. This is the worst nightmare of any gop or dem staffer lmao.

[–] came_apart_at_Kmart@hexbear.net 60 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Texarkana Congressman Chestinauld "Tater" Ford-Walmart III was set upon by a gang of youths outside his family's personal bowling alley. Once he was cornered, they opened their mouths simultaneously to emit a loud static and a disembodied voice whispering violently, "The Future Is Now, We Are The Dark Sunrise." Then they all started twerking, unamericanly, forcing the Congressman to flee for his life and hide next door in his family's personal Bible Study Hall & Golden Corral.

[–] HexbearGPT@hexbear.net 16 points 8 months ago

Poor tater cri

[–] SorosFootSoldier@hexbear.net 49 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Wow the evil Chinese mind virus has infected the youth

[–] happybadger@hexbear.net 46 points 8 months ago

my son used to be patriotic but now he does china all day. i told him "its time to say the pledge of allegiance boy" and he called me a dang 白鬼 because tiktok told him to.

[–] Dessa@hexbear.net 48 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I'm on a discord group tht has a lot of zoomers and maybe a few alphas, and they're suddenly interested in how laws are passed. This is a huge opportunity to radicalize

[–] InevitableSwing@hexbear.net 46 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Tiktok is uniquely hypnotic and the youth of today are experiencing reefer madness

There needs to be a "reefer madness" phrase just for Tiktok.

[–] AutomatedPossum@hexbear.net 38 points 8 months ago

I was inclined to say "satire is dead when BBC news are like a carbon copy of a Kelly cartoon with the labels edited out", but then i remembered the labels are always the best part and that this means that actually, it's the news that are dead.