TikTok has become an increasingly popular platform for users to share their creativity and express themselves through short videos.
It also serves as a hub for the promotion of various sexual acts and behaviors that are often considered taboo in society. One such trend is the erotic dance challenge, which involves participants performing suggestive dances that showcase their bodies while attempting to attract potential partners. This trend has sparked controversy among some individuals who believe that it promotes unhealthy attitudes towards sex and objectifies women. In this article, I will explore how TikTok's erotic trend participation influences unconscious sexual norms, relational scripts, and desire expectations.
Unconscious Sexual Norms
The erotic dance challenge, along with other similar challenges on TikTok, normalizes certain sexual acts and behaviors that may be harmful to both men and women. These challenges can shape our unconscious sexual norms, leading us to view them as normal or acceptable behavior even if they are detrimental to our mental health and wellbeing.
Many of these challenges encourage women to perform sexually explicit actions that promote hyper-sexualization and objectification, which can lead to increased anxiety and body image issues.
They can reinforce harmful ideas about masculinity and femininity, further perpetuating gender stereotypes. Men are expected to be aggressive and dominant, while women are encouraged to be submissive and passive. By participating in these challenges, we reinforce these harmful norms without realizing it.
Relational Scripts
The erotic dance challenge also shapes our relational scripts by normalizing a particular type of relationship dynamic between men and women. Participants in the challenge often portray themselves as objects for pleasure rather than individuals with their own desires and needs. This can lead to unrealistic expectations of relationships, where partners are viewed primarily as sexual objects instead of humans with complex emotional needs. Moreover, the challenge promotes the idea that intimacy should always involve some form of performance, creating pressure to constantly put on shows for one's partner.
This can lead to burnout and dissatisfaction in the bedroom, as people become overwhelmed by the constant need to perform and feel judged based on their sexual prowess.
Desire Expectations
TikTok's erotic trend participation influences desire expectations by promoting a narrow view of what is considered attractive or desirable. Participants in the challenge tend to focus on specific physical features such as curves and booty size, leading to an obsession with appearance-based attraction rather than more meaningful aspects of a person's character. This can lead to increased body image issues among both men and women and create unrealistic expectations about how sex should look. As a result, many people may find themselves feeling disappointed when they don't live up to the standard set by TikTok videos and struggle to find satisfaction in their relationships.
TikTok's erotic trend participation has significant implications for our understanding of sex and relationships. It normalizes harmful behavior and gender stereotypes while reinforcing a performance-driven culture in the bedroom. By participating in these challenges, we risk damaging our own mental health and wellbeing and creating unfair expectations for ourselves and our partners. We must be mindful of the impact that social media has on our sexuality and work towards creating healthier norms and relationships.
How does TikTok erotic trend participation influence unconscious sexual norms, relational scripts, and desire expectations?
Participation in TikTok erotic trends can influence people's unconscious sexual norms, relational scripts, and desire expectations by exposing them to new ways of expressing their sexuality, challenging traditional gender roles and power dynamics, and encouraging experimentation with non-traditional forms of pleasure and intimacy.