Updated May 15th, 2020 at 10:28 IST
TikTok's 'Autism Challenge' faces Twitter backlash for mocking people with special needs
Recently, TikTok users have started a new challenge called the Autism Challenge. It has been widely criticised for mocking those with special needs.
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An Autism Challenge has started on TikTok and is receiving a lot of backlash. While it is being shared as a trend, this challenge is considered extremely offensive as it is mocking those who have autism. Several also took to Twitter and spoke against the trend.
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TikTok's Autism Challange criticised by Twitterati
The Autism Challenge on TikTok consists of people mocking autism behaviour and pretending to have seizures. These videos are then shared with the hashtag #autismchallenge. However, TikTok as a platform has since appeared to have deleted the hashtag.
According to the UK's National Autistic Society, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person relates and communicates with other people and how they experience the world around them. It is present in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups, though it is said to be more prevalent in men than in women. As of 2020, USA's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reported that roughly 1 in 54 children have been identified with ASD.
TikTok had reportedly created the Autism Challenge to help raise awareness about autism. But this initiative has gone awry as people are making cruel and insensitive content. Despite originating on TikTok, reports say that the videos are being shared largely to Facebook, though several netizens have asked for them to be taken down there as well.
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Twitter reacts to insensitive challenge
So there’s a trend on Tiktok that challenges ppl to make fun of others that have disabilities... specifically autism ? PEOPLE ARE TRASH ! Literally
— ✨Queen of Zamunda✨👑 (@JoyyUnSpeakable)
😡Was sent a Tik Tok video via messenger: The Autism Challenge, where adults and children are mocking those with autism and other conditions 🤢 PLEASE do not take part in mocking people with DISABILITIES: Its COWARDLY and PATHETIC #AutismAwareness #thursdayvibes 🥊
— Rhys McCole 🏴 (@RhysMccole)
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I just got word of the so called @tiktok_us #AutismChallenge. This heinous challenge consists of mocking disabled people, especially autistics. I don’t use TikTok, but I strongly condemn these actions #ActuallyAutistic
— Coco Coindreau (@coco_coindreau)
Anyone who participates in TikTok’s autism challenge is absolute TRASH. #ActuallyAutistic
— Autistic.Barbie (@AutisticBarbie)
If I catch any of yall doing that Tiktok Autism challenge you're dead to me.
— You're askin for a Baskin (@PigmentsnPixels)
hello @tiktok_us i’d like to bring to your attention that there’s a trend under the name of “the autism challenge” and i’d like you to take all of the offensive videos down, it is disgusting and not enough people are talking about it
— mollie aka piggie (@HOMESWEETH0TEL)
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Published May 14th, 2020 at 22:45 IST