Is TikT0k Harming Therians?

(2023-08-30 16:23)grays Wrote:  But yeah I don't like how we've romanticized and put standards on therianthropy. That's really weird.

I must admit I don't use TikTok (I'm really becoming a boomer smh) so I must admit regarding TikTok I'm out of the loop. But the term Therianthropy has been altered and bent by younger people trying to figure out their identity and their place in life and/or insane or even malicious people. In 2006 the Therian Temple became a thing, which is nothing but a stain upon Therianthropy as a whole as it was nothing but a cult. More- smaller cult-like sites were a thing between 2005 and 2015, mostly run by teenagers. It's definitely interesting to dive into that part of history of Therianthropy even though it's quite fucked.

Therianthropy as a whole has probably been tainted by people trying to put standards on it and people romanticizing it since or shortly after the inception of Therianthropy.

(2023-09-02 23:59)Daizon Wrote:  

(2023-08-30 16:23)grays Wrote:  But yeah I don't like how we've romanticized and put standards on therianthropy. That's really weird.

I must admit I don't use TikTok (I'm really becoming a boomer smh) so I must admit regarding TikTok I'm out of the loop. But the term Therianthropy has been altered and bent by younger people trying to figure out their identity and their place in life and/or insane or even malicious people. In 2006 the Therian Temple became a thing, which is nothing but a stain upon Therianthropy as a whole as it was nothing but a cult. More- smaller cult-like sites were a thing between 2005 and 2015, mostly run by teenagers. It's definitely interesting to dive into that part of history of Therianthropy even though it's quite fucked.

Therianthropy as a whole has probably been tainted by people trying to put standards on it and people romanticizing it since or shortly after the inception of Therianthropy.

NOw that you mention it I remember hearing about Therian Temple back in the oughts, never anything good and honestly glad I managed to stay clear of that mess, course I was probably older than their target demiographic by then. Truth is there has always been missinformation and children throwing things around with a barely surface level understanding. I believe I said it earlier but before it was the tumblerkin, now it's tiktok-kin. In some ways grilling came about as a response to such things in an attempt to control our own definition. I think there will always be some sort of group, site, etc. like that where nonsense and childish ideas run rampant and there really is nothing we can do about it in the end but weather it and wait till enough people take us all seriously.

(2023-09-05 7:20)Siris Wrote:  NOw that you mention it I remember hearing about Therian Temple back in the oughts, never anything good and honestly glad I managed to stay clear of that mess, course I was probably older than their target demiographic by then. Truth is there has always been missinformation and children throwing things around with a barely surface level understanding. I believe I said it earlier but before it was the tumblerkin, now it's tiktok-kin. In some ways grilling came about as a response to such things in an attempt to control our own definition. I think there will always be some sort of group, site, etc. like that where nonsense and childish ideas run rampant and there really is nothing we can do about it in the end but weather it and wait till enough people take us all seriously.

I feel like the primary issue is in this regard is that therianthropy ties in very well with younger people being primarily attracted to it by public means (tiktok for instance). These people are often vulnerable and easy to manipulate. They're willing to absorb a lot of nonsense in order to find their identity and a sense of belonging.

Add to that this also forms the public front of therianthropy and there aren't many public figures that are sensible and have a wide reach and you'll get that there's a lot of misinformation about what therianthropy actually entails that's easier to access than good information.

And I'm afraid that isn't going to change because the group of older Therians that are mature, convincing and dedicated enough to have a compelling narrative with a sizable reach to compete with the masses of tiktokkins is very small.

This is just my opinion though, but I think Therians won't be taken serious by a very vast majority of people, apart from the furry fandom unless a strong and compelling narrative is formed, which I don't see happening as it goes against the subjectivity of therianthropy

I’m new to the therianthropy community, but I’ve personally been VERY annoyed by the erasure of psychological therians. I’ll mention that I don’t have a past life and suddenly several 11 year olds are calling me a faker! D:

((Tho tbh the masks look fun I convinced my mom to order me a mask.))

(2023-09-05 16:15)Sleepii-lambkin Wrote:  I’m new to the therianthropy community, but I’ve personally been VERY annoyed by the erasure of psychological therians. I’ll mention that I don’t have a past life and suddenly several 11 year olds are calling me a faker! D:

((Tho tbh the masks look fun I convinced my mom to order me a mask.))

Honestly..
I tried to explain the concept of a copinglink to a tiktok therian and they called it fake therianthropy... meanwhile they're 11, wearing gear, past life therian...
yknow, stereotypical tiktok therian stuff.
It's actually insane..

@grays They’re just kids being annoying kids I guess. (I can’t blame them, I’m technically a kid too)

(2023-09-05 16:24)grays Wrote:  

(2023-09-05 16:15)Sleepii-lambkin Wrote:  I’m new to the therianthropy community, but I’ve personally been VERY annoyed by the erasure of psychological therians. I’ll mention that I don’t have a past life and suddenly several 11 year olds are calling me a faker! D:

((Tho tbh the masks look fun I convinced my mom to order me a mask.))

Honestly..
I tried to explain the concept of a copinglink to a tiktok therian and they called it fake therianthropy... meanwhile they're 11, wearing gear, past life therian...
yknow, stereotypical tiktok therian stuff.
It's actually insane..

(2023-09-05 16:15)Sleepii-lambkin Wrote:  I’m new to the therianthropy community, but I’ve personally been VERY annoyed by the erasure of psychological therians. I’ll mention that I don’t have a past life and suddenly several 11 year olds are calling me a faker! D:

((Tho tbh the masks look fun I convinced my mom to order me a mask.))

It's fairly pointless to discuss with those people. From my limited time looking into it, it seems like they're thinking fairly dogmatic about what therianthropy should entail (past life, quadrobics, idolizing certain tiktokers etc etc) and they're very defensive of their vision (try to argue that quads are very unimportant). Either way, they'll just cling to their one "true" vision and defend it like a religious fanatic would. The age category doesn't help at all with their case

It was always with certain groups of spiritual therians that they become dogmatic and quick to dismiss experiences of others who don't fit their dogmatic views sadly, and it will always remain that way I'm afraid.

In the end it's valuable to have in the back of your mind that therianthropy in the broadest sense is just having the feeling there's a non human part to you and that it's valuable to embrace the differences in the community as all sane experiences and feelings are valid. Whether it's spiritual or psychological in essence it shouldn't matter. Copinglink is a very valid explanation for therianthropy and I am sure for many therians it is a plausible cause.

I do agree that tiktok and YouTube are spreading a lot of misinformation and stuff, even as a minor who has youtube. (I make edits of pjo, Kotlc ect).
I think that if someone sees a video of therians and starts to wonder, than they should do more research and actually know what it is before calling themself one, and not twist the defenition to what they want it to be.
I Tbh I just use Tiktok to watch my Irl friend and favourite k-pop idol's videos, nothing else.

I also agree that YouTube and various social media sites are harmful. They (as Rain said above) are spreading misinformation, but they are also confusing new therians and otherkin. I feel like a large chunk of therians on youtube simply state they are therian for attention, and often say that "gear makes you a therian," blah blah blah.
So if your someone whose trying to clarify things up about theriothropy, dont rely on social media. Instead, ask people who you know are therians or know some about them, or ask here.

Ok, some parts of this post kind of itched me the wrong way... like yeah, a lot of people on social media do quads, that's what gets views, and for some people, it's fun. I feel that part on this post was a bit... weirdly worded? So with your wording, it kind of says that all therians on there are fake, when a lot of people do a species dysphoria. As a therian who has an acc on YouTube with a friend we do mostly quads on there, or that's our plan.
Yeah, most therians on tik tok and stuff like that are fake, I've seen it myself, but this makes me personally feel kind of attacked with your wording. You don't have to do quads, and with some saying "oh you don't need gear to be a therian" they use gear because they have it, most have it. A lot of it is they also don't want to show their face too, that's why they have masks sometimes. Other from that I agree with almost everything thus says, but for me it's how much hate there is on there. Like SSSniperwolf and this one podcast lady that does political videos

But yeah that's kind of my input on this topic- pls dont get mad at me, I'm just inputting how I feel because not all therians on tik tok are bad-