What's Wrong With the 'Stranger Things' TikTok?
Social media did 'Stranger Things' really well in terms of promotion and worldwide popularity, but it seems that there is a dark side to it all.
'Stranger Things ' fans are becoming increasingly worried about certain types of show-related content that emerges on TikTok – starting off with romanticizing "wrong character views" and escalating into spreading fake rumors and lies about the show.
It would be naïve to downplay the importance of social media, and mainly TikTok, in 'Stranger Things' rising to global fame. With the premiere of season 4, it was all about fancams, edits, short clips and fan theories that were swirling around the Internet and dragging even the casual Netflix users into the chaotic world of the 'Stranger Things' fandom.
However, some things about certain tiktoks just don't sit well with fans. In a lengthy Twitter thread, a user named el's rainbow room broke down several issues with the 'Stranger Things' TikTok. Among them was the promotion of the wrong perception of Billy Hargrove, where a fan edit imagines what would happen if Billy was still alive and could protect Max from Jason – something that the character was unlikely to do if we're being honest.
Among other problems with the 'Stranger Things' TikTok world, the fan listed some accounts spreading false rumors, such as Sadie Sink ( Max Mayfield) and Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler) allegedly being a couple in the past (something that never happened), and the recent claims that 'Stranger Things' creators had to retroactively edit the show's previous seasons.
It also turned out that the notorious rumor about season 4 allegedly having 5 deaths was also started on TikTok, with basically no source to support the claim. Still, it went viral and made it into several headlines.
Commenting on the Twitter thread, many 'Stranger Things' fans also shared their own grievances about TikTok – particularly about how the social media platform might ruin 'Running Up That Hill' and Eddie's "Chrissy, wake up!" lines with numerous remixes.
Still, one cannot argue that viral posts are an indisputable part of 'Stranger Things' success, with challenges, remixes, and even rumors fueling the fire of fan love for the show. However, just like with any social media platform, one has to exercise caution and occasionally fact-check things when they go surfing the net for some fresh content – even when it's not related to 'Stranger Things'.