It’s hard enough raising a kid nowadays, but food allergy parents have it especially tough. When children are young, you can wrap them in a bubble while you try to keep them safe and included and their self-esteem intact. But once they reach a certain age, they’ll likely be exposed to social media where self-esteem goes out the window.
While other parents need only concern themselves with their child’s self-image, you have the additional worry about morons on venues like TikTok endangering your child by poking fun at allergies and anaphylaxis. By doing so, they encourage others to make light of your child’s condition, which — if taken far enough — could land them in the hospital or worse.
Case in point, this video by some idiot TikToker with over half-million views. [Note: we’ve copied the video and obscured his handle so he does not benefit from this exposure.]
If your child has access to social media, chances are they’ve either seen this video or one of their schoolmates has, and it’s only a matter of time before they’re exposed.
Please take the time to have a frank conversation with your kids about this kind of content and prepare them for the buffoons who will inevitably appear on their screens. Knowing in advance this content is circulating and teaching them how to address it with their social circle will help prepare them. While it may be an uncomfortable conversation, we feel it’s better to discuss it calmly in a safe environment rather than have your child blindsided.
Has your child been affected by social media mocking food allergies? Let us know by sounding off below.
W.T.F.
Repulsive.
Disgusting. Can we press charges against him? He is threatening a life, recommending murder. I have seen elementary students get in trouble for much less than this.
Actually, if you watch his response video he has multiple food allergies with a medical alert tattooed on his forearm.
Now, I was disgusted by his original post. It does go hand and hand with his posts. He just does stupid skits about types of people. Did I find it funny, no, not at all.
But… Maybe someone should make him an offer to use his online presence for good in the allergy community. The general public (those without food allergies) need to get educated, and using humor could help the information spread quickly.