Why do teenagers love Andrew Tate? TikTok fails to implement age control on misogynistic influencer's videos
BUCHAREST, ROMANIA: It's obvious that if someone has been arrested for charges that include rape and human trafficking, they’d start to lose their online influence or say fan-following a little bit. But this isn't the case for misogynist influencer Andrew Tate. The kickboxer turned influencer, even after his arrest for sex trafficking in Romania, has many teenage boys call him a role model.
Not only this but Videos tagged #AndrewTate on TikTok have been viewed more than 12.7bn times. Nick Melcher, a teenager talks to The Onion and he believes that "Tate is just saying what everyone else is writing in their manifestos.” Surprisingly, Not only him but there are several who love the top G influencer. But why?
Why do teenagers love Andrew Tate?
Tate is aware of how to market himself and what to say and do to attract fans. Tate is only the most recent in a long series of really unattractive men who pose as the "answer" to young men's concerns. Tate is a genius when it comes to internet culture and social media, catering to his activity on Twitter. Teenage boys generally relate to him through his quotes, memes, and inside jokes.
He appeals because of the 'edgy' things he says, which fit with boys' opposition to media narratives and authority. Additionally, he seems to have the things that guys have been taught to believe they want-looks, a toned physique, fast vehicles, boats, women, celebrity, and virality.
They’re trying to convince you should act how you feel pic.twitter.com/5hvbdhnNO7
— Andrew Tate (@Cobratate) July 3, 2023
TikTok fails to implement age control on Tate's video
According to experts, TikTok is failing to screen out controversial influencer Andrew Tate's misogynistic videos, which can be viewed by kids as young as 13. The Independent discovered that his footage was available to users of the social media platform, both under the "Tate" hashtag and elsewhere, despite TikTok's claims that Andrew Tate himself has been banned and the fact that many of these videos are unrelated to or tied to the brothers' court appearances. The head of research for the company, Callum Hood, cautioned that TikTok had received a fine from UK regulators for failing to impose age restrictions, raising concerns about how many youngsters under the age of 13 would have accessed Tate's content.
TikTok is to be much more proactive in implementing its policies. Figures also reveal over three-quarters of people viewing videos posted under the Tate hashtag are aged between 18 to 24 in the UK. Almost eight in ten people around the world watching videos posted under this hashtag are aged between 18 to 24. This is despite the fact many online giants have banned Tate’s account because of his hate speech.
