Pokimane calls out “toxic” TikTok for making users obsessed with image

Twitch star Pokimane is calling out TikTok’s “toxic” culture and algorithm, saying that the app has made herself and other people “obsessed” with their appearances.

TikTok is one of the world’s most prominent social media apps — so much so, that it actually beat out searches for Google back in 2021.

However, the platform has also been one of the most controversial of its kind, with multiple states in the US currently considering a ban on the site.

Although the app has come under scrutiny due to life-threatening trends like the Blackout Challenge, it has also been called out for adverse effects on users’ mental health.

Now, one of the internet’s biggest influencers is sharing some of her thoughts on the site, saying that she feels as though TikTok has made her “obsessed” with her appearance.

Pokimane says “toxic” TikTok has made people “obsessed” with appearances

In a video uploaded on April 25, prominent Twitch streamer Imane ‘Pokimane’ Anys addressed some of her issues with the platform, saying that her appearance has become a major focus of her thought process when creating content when it wasn’t before.

“Does anyone else feel like being on TikTok has made you way more obsessed with appearances?” she began. “Initially, it was kind of fun. Like, oh, I get to learn about skincare and clothing and see different kinds of aesthetics.”

“But after a while, I noticed it got toxic really quick. I started considering how I look before things that are equally as important, like what I wanna say, how I feel, etcetera.”

That’s not all; the streamer also says that, as a woman, she feels as though her appearance ties into her overall “worth” as a person, although she doesn’t subscribe to that belief, herself.

“[I started to feel like it was a] really, really important way to showcase my value as a human being, especially as a woman. I think that’s something that we’re not often directly told, but subliminally told, that that is such an important factor of our worth.”

Anys went on to speak with her fans in the comments, saying that although TikTok has taught her so much, it’s “easy to fall prey to the addictive nature of social media.”

Social media can certainly have a dangerous side, as prominent TikTok creator KallmeKris recently revealed that she’s been the victim of stalking after achieving internet fame for the last year.