The Auschwitz Memorial and Museum recently spoke out regarding a recent trend on the popular social media platform TikTok, in which people pose as victims of the Holocaust. The Tweet describes the videos in this 'victims' trend as both hurtful and offensive and calls for an open and ongoing discussion with our planet's youth, so they can better understand and acknowledge this horrific blemish on mankind's history.
The 'victims' video trend on TikTok includes videos of people wearing striped uniforms or arm bands with the star of David to replicate what Jews were forced to wear in public or in concentration camps. During World War II, over 6 million Jewish people died in concentration camps like Auschwitz. TikTok is a Chinese-owned company that has been under fire for months now for a number of issues covering everything from privacy, national security, and the spreading of hate speech. Most recently, the platform reported removing 380,000 videos, 64,000 comments, and banning 1,300 accounts so far in 2020.
In its Tweet, the Auschwitz Memorial confides that this trend is not the most outrageous form of anti-Semitism on social media today. Additionally, 'victims' videos are by no means the most popular thing trending on TikTok right now. However, this is an issue as it relates to very serious and tragic subject matter. Fortunately and unfortunately, history moves forward while events like the Holocaust stand still. As mankind progresses, people become less educated about the more distant past, and this is often the case with the youth. The Auschwitz Museum recognizes this fact and calls for collective conversations for proper education, but warns there's a much larger issue at hand.
The Auschwitz Memorial's Tweet is extremely well worded and even somewhat understanding toward the TikTok trend. The organization states that it's important to share individual stories of the Holocaust to not only commemorate its (actual) victims, but to educate all, so something like that never occurs ever again. That being said, the Tweet also explains that while personal stories remain essential to education on history, it is unacceptable for anyone to act from the victim's position. In addition to being insensitive, the Auschwitz Memorial Museum makes a valid point in that videos like the TikTok trend also trivialize a dark history. The Tweet goes on to say that while many of the videos posted to TikTok cross this line, a lot of them appear to be people more focused on the desire to be part of the trend, and less aware of the subject matter and its subsequent impact on the Jewish community.
Like a ray of sunlight in grey and uncertain days on social media, The Auschwitz Memorial has used this opportunity to indeed speak out against a TikTok trend, but more importantly to turn a magnified glass toward social media as a whole, and the amount of anti-Semitism still posted daily. While many social media platforms have touted their improved methods of combatting hate and misinformation, Holocaust denial content is still very much present. This sort of content not only spreads false information, but is accompanied with more expressions of anti-Semitism and hatred. The Holocaust ended 75 years ago, yet the issue is still being dealt with today. As the original Tweet states, not every social media activity can effectively and appropriately commemorate the Holocaust, and everyone must educate others with facts and stories to represent it in a respectful and meaningful way.
Source: Auschwitz Memorial/Twitter
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