TikTok made an update that is upsetting users. One user posted a video sharing their feelings about the situation, and it seems other users have similar feelings.
TikToker Jennie (@jennieneumann) shared her frustration with TikTok showing commercials in the middle of a video.
@jennieneumann I need @Magic Spoon to stop sending me adds in the middle of a funny video. #tiktokupdate #funnyvideos ♬ original sound - Jennie
"Anyone else really not into this new TikTok thing where they put a commercial right in the middle of a video?" she asked in a clip from June 2023.
She explained that she is tired of seeing the Magic Spoon cereal videos, adding in the caption, "I need @Magic Spoon to stop sending me ads in the middle of a funny video."
TikTok is a place for people to check out the latest viral trends and go down rabbit holes of videos since the algorithm is in tune with what users want to see. It's understandable to be frustrated when you are just trying to watch some content.
While users are surprised by commercials popping up in the middle of videos, this didn't come out of nowhere.
According to TechCrunch, the platform announced TikTok For Business back in 2020. Oberlo also reported that the company made $9.9 billion in ad revenue in 2022. That was a 155% increase from the previous year. A researcher on Statista estimates that TikTok will make $18.5 billion in ad revenue in 2024.
Unfortunately, TikTok ads and influencers can fuel fast fashion and consumerism. When users see the latest trend, they have to have it. According to a Marketing Charts survey in 2021, 39% of Gen Z users were influenced to buy something from a TikTok video.
Another TikToker even called out influencers who were trying to convince people to buy things through the TikTok shop.
The good news is you can still upgrade your wardrobe without hurting the environment. First, break up with the highly polluting fast-fashion industry. The items are generally lower quality anyway, which means you're needing to shell out cash more frequently on new clothes.
Many people find high-quality items for a low price point at thrift stores. You can also support eco-friendly brands or sell your old clothes to give them a second life and prevent them from ending up in landfills.
Ads are littered all over social media platforms, and users felt like TikTok was a place they could avoid that, so it's changing the dynamics of the app.
One TikTok user commented on the original post: "About to delete the app."
"The ads not even gonna work cause everyone just finds it annoying and no one's gonna wanna buy the things it's promoting," another user pointed out.
There may be a way to get around the new update.
One user said: "Life hack, when it announces that the ad is coming, go to the comments for a second. It goes away!"
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