Is the internet broken? Annie Bonelli has found fame on TikTok — simply for having a scar on her face that some people think is fake.
Half a billion views for one teenager's scar
Is the internet broken? Annie Bonelli has found fame on TikTok - simply for having a scar on her face that some people think is fake.
What's happening?
There is nothing unusual about Annie Bonelli's TikTokA Chinese social media company featuring short videos with one billion monthly users. videos. She sings and does her make-up like lots of 18-year-olds.
There is just one thing that makes her videos different - she has a scar on her face.
Under every video that Annie posts, thousands of people comment. They ask whether her scar is real, and try to prove that she is a liar who has drawn on the scar. Now, she has 800,000 followers.
Whether or not Annie's scar is real, it shows that causing discussionWhen people talk about a topic or issue. or arguments can make you very famous very quickly online.
Find out more
If lots of people comment under a TikTok video, it will be shown to more people. It does not matter what the content is, and whether it is good or bad for the world.
Lots of people have worked out that this is a good way to become famous or make money. If they write about or say things that will make people angry or upset, they will get more views and more followers.
The internet was supposed to make everyone's lives easier and better. But some say it is a sign that the internet is broken.
Is the internet broken?
Yes! It is not healthy for thousands of people to be talking about one girl's scar. The internet is making people understand each other less, not more.
No! People have been doing extremeVery great, or beyond what is expected. or unusual things for money and fame for hundreds of years. This started before the internet.
Keywords
TikTok - A Chinese social media company featuring short videos with one billion monthly users.
Discussion - When people talk about a topic or issue.
Extreme - Very great, or beyond what is expected.
Half a billion views for one teenager’s scar
Glossary
TikTok - A Chinese social media company featuring short videos with one billion monthly users.
Discussion - When people talk about a topic or issue.
Extreme - Very great, or beyond what is expected.