Naples, the tragedy of the crollo of the balcony to Scampia It shocked the entire Neapolitan community, generating a wave of grief and dismay that overwhelmed not only those who live near the site of the disaster, but also anyone who followed the event through social media.
Among these, TikTok played a particularly important role, with numerous videos and live broadcasts that told in real time what was happening, often before the news was even released by official media outlets.
However, the Chinese platform has found itself at the center of a very heated ethical debate. It is unacceptable that advertising campaigns, often of questionable taste, have been delivered immediately before, immediately after, or even in the middle of videos that have traumatized an entire community. This practice raises profound questions: How much money did TikTok make from ads related to content about the Scampia tragedy?
The monetization of videos that tell tragedies is nothing new in the world of social media, but what is particularly disturbing is the lack of sensitivity towards the context and the people involved.
In the case of Scampia, the pain of an entire community has been exploited to generate profit. The Neapolitan people, already marked by deep social and cultural scars, deserve respect, not to be treated as a tool to enrich a platform that, evidently, does not set moral limits in pursuing its own economic interests.
TikTok, like other social platforms, is often in the spotlight for its advertising management, but the issue becomes even more delicate when it comes to tragedies like the one in Scampia.
As the pain of families and neighbors spread through videos, the ads continued to run, sometimes interrupted by irrelevant or even offensive promotions. It is a lack of respect that goes beyond common sense, touching the very heart of our humanism.
It is necessary to investigate how much TikTok is making on the backs of Neapolitans and Campanians, especially in times of tragedy. The Chinese social network should demonstrate greater sensitivity towards topics of such gravity, but the reality seems different: the platform seems to be targeting only those who cannot defend themselves, exploiting situations of vulnerability to fuel its business.
The issue is not only economic, but also moral. A platform that wants to be an integral part of our daily lives must assume ethical responsibilities, especially in such delicate situations.
Instead of exploiting others’ pain for profit, TikTok should adopt stricter policies on monetizing tragedy-related content, showing respect for the communities affected.
In conclusion, it is necessary to start a serious reflection on how these platforms manage advertising in crisis contexts. The question that remains is: How much longer will we have to tolerate collective pain being commodified to generate revenue, and at what cost to our humanity?
Article published on 31 July 2024 - 18:30
