<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="9616221" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="danielle-cohn">Danielle Cohn</keyword> is a TikTok star with 20 million followers.</li><li>While she and her mother say she's 16 years old, Cohn's ex-boyfriend <keyword id="9911056" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ethan-fair">Ethan Fair</keyword> is now saying she's actually 14.</li><li>He commented about her age and her mother's involvement in her life publicly on social media last week.</li><li>Fair also claims the two got pregnant before Cohn's abortion earlier this year, which she first revealed happened on her YouTube channel in July.</li><li>There has been speculation over Cohn's age since a September 2019 Facebook post from her father claiming she was younger than she says she is.</li><li>Archambault declined to comment on Fair's accusations to Insider and acknowledged that there is a live Child Protective Services case into her family.</li></ul><p>Danielle Cohn, a controversial young influencer with nearly 20 million TikTok followers, is the subject of renewed suspicion over her age and the role her mother plays in her online life.</p><p>Cohn, who says she is 16, has been the subject of <a href="https://www.insider.com/danielle-cohn-age-youtube-instagram-tiktok-drama-teen-bio-instagram-2020-7">long-held speculation</a> that she is two years younger than she and her mother Jennifer Archambault claim. Last week, Cohn's ex-boyfriend Ethan Fair, who is 16, used his Instagram story to claim that Cohn is actually 14.</p><h2>Cohn's ex-boyfriend Ethan Fair claims that Cohn is actually 14, and was only 13 years old when she had an abortion. Cohn's YouTube video about her abortion originally drew widespread concern.</h2><p>In July 2020, concerns over Cohn's wellbeing peaked when she revealed on her YouTube channel that she had gotten an abortion in January 2020, after <a href="https://www.insider.com/leaked-audio-danielle-cohn-abortion-2020-7">an audio recording</a> of her mother scolding her for it was leaked by a family friend. </p><p>In a series of Instagram stories posted Thursday, Fair said that he and Cohn became pregnant while they were dating. Fair also claimed that Cohn is 14 now and was 13 at the time of her abortion, which Cohn stated was in January, before her birthday. </p><p>Fair also claimed Cohn's mother, Archambault, was speaking for Cohn from her account and accused her of lying to him and his family about Cohn's real age. Fair said there was an "active CPS case" preventing him from sharing more.</p><p>Cohn's mother Archambault posted on her own Instagram story in response to Fair: "All this stuff should not be on social media this is a private matter. You can bring me in all you want about me but you are just mad cause Dani would not do a video saying you were not the father." She went on to claim that Fair "was not there" for Cohn during her pregnancy and abortion because he didn't want his parents to know.  </p><p>Archambault declined to comment to Insider, but acknowledged the active CPS case into her family, writing "there are live CPS cases and this stuff is making it worse for my daughter and family."</p><h2>In 2019, Cohn's father also said she was 2 years younger than her mother says she is</h2><p>The drama between Cohn, Fair, and Archambault fits into a larger series of troubling events concerning Cohn's real age.</p><p>Before and after dating Fair, Cohn has been in an on-again, off-again relationship with influencer <keyword id="9782519" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mikey-tua">Mikey Tua</keyword>, who is currently 18. In 2019, Tua's parents released statements about the pair's breakup, with Tua's father writing that "Danielle is not 15." Tua is now living with Cohn again. </p><div type="image" title="Danielle Cohn mother" height="774" width="1411" msid="78024413" hostid="261"></div><p>And last year, Cohn's father claimed in <a href="https://www.insider.com/danielle-cohn-everything-you-need-to-know-teenage-youtuber-2019-9">a September 2019 Facebook post</a> that his daughter is actually 2 years younger than she and her mother claim she is. </p><p>"I have decided to set things straight about my daughter Danielle Cohn," he wrote. "For years I have done the diplomatic thing while dealing with my daughter being online in a way I didn't approve of and trying to have it handled out of social media because I figured the system would work and keep my daughter safe."</p><p>Archambault has maintained that Cohn is currently 16. As recently as August 2020, Cohn <a href="https://www.insider.com/danielle-cohn-age-real-instagram-live-tiktok-2020-8">implied</a> that she is actually 14, though her mother says she misspoke and simply did the math wrong.</p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/danielle-cohn-age-youtube-instagram-tiktok-drama-teen-bio-instagram-2020-7">Teen influencer Danielle Cohn reignited speculation about her real age when she suggested she was 14 on Instagram. Here's how the social media star rose to prominence online.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/danielle-cohn-age-real-instagram-live-tiktok-2020-8">Teen influencer Danielle Cohn appeared to suggest she was really 14 in an Instagram live, reviving questions about her age</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/leaked-audio-danielle-cohn-abortion-2020-7">Danielle Cohn's age and wellbeing are being called into question again after audio was leaked of her mother saying she has had an abortion</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/tiktok-most-popular-stars-gen-z-influencers-social-media-app-2019-6">These are the 38 biggest stars on TikTok, the viral video app teens can't get enough of</a></li></ul>

Teen YouTuber Danielle Cohn's ex-boyfriend claims she's only 14 as speculation around her age continues to grow

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Controversial teen influencer <keyword id="9616221" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="danielle-cohn">Danielle Cohn</keyword> has been the subject of scrutiny for years, particuarly over questions about her real age.</li><li>Cohn and her mother say she turned 16 in March 2020, but Cohn's father wrote an explosive Facebook post last year claiming she was actually only 13 at the time, which would make her 14 today.</li><li>In a recent livestream, Cohn was answering fan questions about whether she'd have a baby with her current boyfriend, and Cohn said she would consider it in "5 or 6 years" — when she is "19 or 20."</li><li>That timeline would make her 14 now, but Cohn's mother says she simply did the math wrong.</li></ul><p>Speculation about influencer Danielle Cohn's real age has been reignited by a recent livestream that appears to show the TikToker claiming that she's just 14, saying she'll turn 19 in 5 years.</p><p>Cohn has built a career on her controversial social media presence. The teenager, who first garnered online attention by posting lipsyncing videos to Musical.ly in 2016, frequently stirs up concern among fans and critics alike with risqué social media photos and her on-and-off-again relationship <a href="https://www.insider.com/danielle-cohn-age-youtube-instagram-tiktok-drama-teen-bio-instagram-2020-7">with 18-year-old content creator Mikey Tua</a>.</p><p>While Cohn and her mother, Jennifer Archambault, insist that Cohn is 16-years-old, the influencer's father <a href="https://www.insider.com/leaked-audio-danielle-cohn-abortion-2020-7">claims that she's only 14</a> — and in 2019, he produced a realistic-looking birth certificate to back it up. Cohn's statement in her most recent livestream would match her father's narrative.</p><p>In the clip, which was reposted to the popular <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tiktokroom/">TikTok Shade Room Instagram account</a>, Cohn encourages her followers to ask her questions before reading the submission, "Do you wanna have kids with Mikey?"</p><p>"Yeah! I mean, of course I do. Obviously, not right now, you know, 'cause right now would not be the best time to do that," she responds. "But obviously in, I don't know, like, five or six years, maybe? When I'm, like, 19 or 20."</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:800; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~800;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CECZo3nHrBe" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">#daniellecohn talks about having kids with mikey in the future, etc!</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by The <keyword id="6762469" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="TikTok">Tiktok</keyword> Shaderoom (@tiktokroom) on Aug 18, 2020 at 9:34am PDT<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-08-18T16:34:03+00:00">Aug 18, 2020 at 9:34am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><p>In three hours, the re-shared video racked up over 300,000 views and thousands of comments from viewers insisting that the video was proof of Cohn's "real" age. As many were quick to point out, a teenager turning "19 or 20" in "five or six years" would currently be only 14 years old. </p><p>"SHE JUST ADMITTED SHE'S 14," one commenter wrote. </p><p>"5 or 6 years she'll be 19 or 20? did she just expose herself LMAO," another said. </p><p>Cohn's mother, however, says that commenters are misinterpreting the video and that Cohn simply miscalculated.</p><p>"She said maybe in five years and <em>then</em> said 18 or 19 — that's not admitting she is 14. It's a live[stream] where she's talking to fans," Jennifer Archambault told Insider. "She didn't admit anything and she is confused on why this is such a big deal. She said just now that she messed up on the math."</p><h2>Concern for Cohn's wellbeing and questions about her age came to a head earlier this summer when the influencer spoke candidly about her abortion</h2><p>In July, Cohn posted a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7HjpUKBDyw&amp;feature=emb_logologo">video</a> titled "The Truth About My Abortion" in response to a leaked audio clip in which Archambault admitted to "allowing" her daughter to terminate a pregnancy.</p><p>In the 31-minute video, Cohn confirmed that she'd had an abortion in January of 2020. </p><p>"As much as this is really embarrassing for me, and something that I don't want to talk about, it has come to the point where I have to. And I do have to tell my story," she said. </p><p>Archambault told Insider that the audio, which was leaked by a friend, was a "betrayal" that forced Cohn to speak out before she was ready to share her story.  </p><p>"This was definitely not the way she wanted it to come out. Eventually, she would've come out with it, but it's still so new and she's still grieving," Archambault said. </p><div type="image" title="Danielle Cohn Mikey Tua" height="1500" width="2000" msid="77623994" hostid="261"></div><p>Many fans and critics of Cohn questioned her wellbeing in the spotlight, and speculation around her age was reignited by the question of whether Cohn was 13 or 15 when she got an abortion (since it took place before her birthday in March, when she and her mother say she turned 16). </p><p>But in a Facebook post last year, Cohn's father wrote that she <a href="https://www.insider.com/leaked-audio-danielle-cohn-abortion-2020-7">was actually 13</a> at the time and that he had "decided to set things straight" because he disapproved of his daughter's public presence.</p><p>When news of Cohn's abortion broke, Archambault addressed concerns over her daughter's wellbeing again.</p><p>"Every time the police come and investigate or CPS and everyone else comes and sees our family they don't understand why they even have been called out to investigate," she wrote. "It's sad that everyone continues to waste their time and takes resources away from actual major problems in the world."</p><p><strong>Read more:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/danielle-cohn-age-youtube-instagram-tiktok-drama-teen-bio-instagram-2020-7">Underage influencer Danielle Cohn raised eyebrows when she confirmed her relationship with 18-year-old Mikey Tua. Here's how the social media star rose to prominence online.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/leaked-audio-danielle-cohn-abortion-2020-7">Danielle Cohn's age and wellbeing are being called into question again after audio was leaked of her mother saying she has had an abortion</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/tiktok-most-popular-stars-gen-z-influencers-social-media-app-2019-6">These are the 38 biggest stars on TikTok, the viral video app teens can't get enough of</a></p>

Teen influencer Danielle Cohn appeared to suggest she was really 14 in an Instagram live, reviving questions about her age

Teen influencer Danielle Cohn spoke openly about her abortion after becoming embroiled in controversy. Here's how the social media star rose to prominence online.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Audio of YouTuber <keyword id="9616221" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="danielle-cohn">Danielle Cohn</keyword>'s mother was leaked this week.</li><li>In it, Cohn's mother Jennifer Archambault says she allowed her daughter to get an <keyword id="6357791" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="abortion">abortion</keyword>, which calls Cohn's wellbeing and age into question once again.</li><li>People on the internet have long been unsure of Cohn's age, especially since her father said on Facebook last year that she was just 13 years old.</li><li>Cohn, who has 1.7 million subscribers on YouTube, responded to the leak with a video called "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7HjpUKBDyw&amp;feature=youtu.beu.be" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Truth About My Abortion</a>," where she confirmed the audio was real and that she did have an abortion in January.</li><li>Archambault told Insider the person who leaked the audio is her "best friend of five years" and she is "sickened and beyond hurt."</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCt4muwFv5e/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Audio of a conversation</a> between Danielle Cohn and her mother Jennifer Archambault was leaked all over the internet this week.</p><p>Cohn is a young YouTuber, musician, and influencer with 1.7 million subscribers who has been a controversial figure on the platform for a few years because of questions around her age.</p><p>This week, Archambault was heard in the clip scolding Cohn for being "cold-hearted," and saying she allowed her to have an abortion.</p><p>"I allowed you to have an abortion ... I allowed so much that I shouldn't have allowed, and it's allowed you to be the person you've become," Archambault said.</p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCv8J2kFF7z/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In further clips</a>, Archambault said Cohn should go give live with her father Dustin for a while, and Cohn repeated something her mother said to her: "At least I didn't kill my own child."</p><p>The conversation has been shared on the Instagram page <a href="https://www.instagram.com/2helpdanicohn2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2helpdanicohn2</a>.</p><h2>Danielle Cohn and Mikey Tua's relationship was a point of contention for both their <keyword id="6359162" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="parents">parents</keyword></h2><p>Cohn's fans' obsession with finding out the truth about how old she really is has only grown over time thanks to <a href="https://www.insider.com/danielle-cohn-everything-you-need-to-know-teenage-youtuber-2019-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">internet sleuths and leaked information</a>.</p><p>In the past she has repeatedly insisted she is 15 years old (now 16) so often that it's become a meme that she'll be that age forever. But there are concerns that she's much younger than she says, and would have been just 14 when she had the abortion.</p><p>Mikey Tua is Cohn's boyfriend who she started dating in 2018. In April 2019, they posted a series of videos where they went to Vegas and <a href="https://youtu.be/2x8guH7hsgc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">apparently got married</a>. The ceremony wasn't legal, Danielle's mother <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tanyachen/youtuber-influencer-danielle-cohn-implies-pregnant-married" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Buzzfeed News</a>, and was simply "clickbait." They broke up for a short while at the end of 2019 after Tua's parents intervened because of a strange prank where Cohn faked a <keyword id="6357793" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pregnancy">pregnancy</keyword>.</p><p>"After some sensitive information was brought to my attention about Danielle, we no longer support Mikey and Danielle's relationship," Tua's mother Katie wrote via his Instagram stories. "Because Mikey is still a minor, we have taken away his social media. He will be able to get it back when we have worked through some legal stuff. Thank you!"</p><p>Tua's father also posted a statement saying his son wanted to become emancipated from his parents.</p><p>"I understand that, but his emancipation can give him prison time," he wrote. "Dani is not 15."</p><p>The couple reconciled this year, and 18-year-old Tua is now living with Cohn's family.</p><p><div type="image" title="Danielle Cohn Mikey Tua" height="1500" width="2000" msid="77086664" hostid="261"></div></p><p>Archambault <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCt4muwFv5e/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">addressed the relationship in the leaked audio</a>, saying that she and Cohn "can't get along at all."</p><p>"I think we just need some time away from each other," she said. "Because I've allowed you to live with your boyfriend, I've allowed you to do all this s--t."</p><p>In an email to Insider, Archambault confirmed the leak publicized a private conversation between her and Cohn.</p><p>She said that her best friend of five years, who she named to Insider, was the one who leaked the audio.</p><p>"My best friend ... of 5 years that my daughter looked up to and was very close to is behind this disgusting situation," she said. "I am sickened and beyond hurt that an adult that was this close to our family would betray us."</p><p>Insider has reached out to the friend for comment.</p><p>Archambault said Cohn was thus "forced and bullied" into thinking she had to tell the world about her abortion. The things her and Cohn were saying to each other were them "venting," she said.</p><p>"This was the hardest thing my daughter has ever been through and she should've been able to keep this private and to herself," she said. "This was after a long week of our family just going through so much and us finally being able to talk about it. I love my daughter and fully support her decisions no matter what."</p><h2>Danielle was forced to speak about her private life</h2><p>Cohn also confirmed the audio was real in a YouTube video called "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7HjpUKBDyw&amp;feature=youtu.beu.be" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Truth About My Abortion</a>" posted on Monday. She told viewers she had an abortion back in January.</p><p>"I figured that it would just be best for me to come clean about it because there's no need to lie," she said. "As much as this is really embarrassing for me, and something that I don't want to talk about, it has came to the point where I have to. And I do have to tell my story."</p><p>Cohn said she wanted anyone who has been through the same thing to know they shouldn't feel embarrassed because "it is not a bad thing to do." She also said she was against people who were pro-choice before she had to face the decision herself.</p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o7HjpUKBDyw" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>She went through every step of her story in great detail, about how she got pregnant in the first place, and also how she was manipulated into having sex. She said she was sleeping all the time and craving strange foods, yet still was naive to the fact she was pregnant at first. When she finally took the test, she said her first thought was to call the father. It is unclear who she was with at the time, as she and Tua were broken up during that period.</p><p>"Let's just say I went through it alone," she said. "And that was the hardest part, because nobody cared. And I couldn't tell my family. I didn't want them to be disappointed in me. Like, nobody cared."</p><p><div type="image" title="Danielle Cohn mother" height="774" width="1031" msid="77086670" hostid="261"></div></p><h2>Danielle and her mother are currently working things out on holiday together</h2><p>Archambault has posted on Instagram twice since the audio was leaked. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCy0b0wM0PV/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One post is a selfie</a> of her and Cohn smiling.</p><p>"We aren't perfect," she wrote in the caption. "No family is but we will get through it all."</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCy0b0wM0PV" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">We aren’t perfect no family is but we will get through it all. Spending the weekend with our family❤️</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by  Jennifer Archambault (@jen_arch_) on Jul 18, 2020 at 11:48am PDT<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-07-18T18:48:28+00:00">Jul 18, 2020 at 11:48am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><p>She also directly addressed the audio <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CC085Zas_Va/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in a second post</a>, where she said it is "unfortunate" that people make assumptions about their family.</p><p>"Every time the police come and investigate or CPS and everyone else comes and sees our family they don't understand why they even have been called out to investigate," she wrote. "It's sad that everyone continues to waste their time and takes resources away from actual major problems in the world."</p><p>Cohn has not posted on social media since her video, but judging from her mother's Instagram stories, she is on holiday with her family.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCt2UOCDXbJ" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Summer days</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by  DANIELLA (@daniellecohn) on Jul 16, 2020 at 1:29pm PDT<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-07-16T20:29:14+00:00">Jul 16, 2020 at 1:29pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><h2>The audio revives questions about Danielle's age</h2><p>The audio brings up an issue that has troubled people who have been following Cohn's story for several years. Fans and commentators have long been unsure of Cohn's age, especially since her father claimed in a Facebook post last year <a href="https://www.insider.com/danielle-cohn-everything-you-need-to-know-teenage-youtuber-2019-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">that she was just 13 years old</a>.</p><p>"I have decided to set things straight about my daughter Danielle Cohn," he wrote. "For years I have done the diplomatic thing while dealing with my daughter being online in a way I didn't approve of and trying to have it handled out of social media because I figured the system would work and keep my daughter safe."</p><p>However, Cohn and her mother insisted at the time she was 15, which would make her 16 years old now. An <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BReg2ANlyaN/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram post by Famous Birthdays</a> from three years ago celebrating Cohn's 13th birthday seems to confirm this.</p><p>As Cohn's birthday is in March, she would have been 15 at the time of getting the abortion. Cohn's social media pages have been flooded with praise for how maturely she has handled this whole situation.</p><p>"Dani should be so proud of herself for being this mature about something so emotional and personal," one fan wrote on YouTube. "She has gained so much respect from me."</p><p><strong>Read more:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/everything-jeffree-star-didnt-actually-apologize-for-2020-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Everything Jeffree Star didn't address in his 10-minute 'apology' video</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/why-some-celebrities-seem-bulletproof-to-being-canceled-2020-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeffree Star is staying quiet while Shane Dawson's career lies in tatters. Here's why celebrities like him seem uncancelable.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/how-shane-dawson-went-from-king-of-youtube-to-canceled-2020-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How Shane Dawson went from 'King of YouTube' to the biggest fall from grace the platform has ever seen</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/shane-dawson-tati-westbrook-video-jeffree-star-drama-timeline-cancelled-2020-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A timeline of how the internet turned against the top YouTubers Shane Dawson and Jeffree Star</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/life-and-controversies-of-youtuber-trisha-paytas-2019-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The life and controversies of YouTuber Trisha Paytas, from claiming she has multiple personalities to identifying as 'a chicken nugget'</a></p>

Danielle Cohn's age and wellbeing are being called into question again after audio was leaked of her mother saying she has had an abortion

<ul class="summary-list"><li>TikTok star Caleb Coffee fell from an 80-foot cliff in Hawaii while on a walk with friends. </li><li>His dad wrote in an Instagram story Thursday that "It truly is a Miracle he is alive."</li></ul><p>TikTok star Caleb Coffee fell off an 80-foot cliff in Hawaii while on a hike with friends and is now facing injuries including a spinal fracture, broken femur, elbow, and wrist, and multiple gauges and burns across his body, his family wrote on a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/caleb-medical?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&amp;utm_medium=copy_link_all&amp;utm_source=customer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe created</a> to raise money for his treatment and hospitalization. </p><p>Coffee, who has over 11 million followers on TikTok, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@calebcoffee/video/7268492232326434091" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">posted a video</a> to the platform Thursday from what appeared to be a hospital. He reassured his fans that he was OK and said he found out his neck and spine were not broken. He said he was grateful that he survived the incident.</p><p>"60 to 80 feet is... I can't even fathom that," Coffee said in the video, which has been viewed over 3.5 million times already. "I don't even remember, I just woke up and I thought I was gonna die. And then, I didn't die."</p><p>His father, Jason Coffee — who wrote that his son has stitches in his forehead and lip — said, "It truly is a Miracle he is alive" in an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stories/jasoncoffee/3171722035282303009/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram story posted on Thursday</a>. </p><p>According to the GoFundMe, Coffee fell on "lava rock" and had to be airlifted to the emergency room. </p><p>"We don't know the full extent of his injuries yet," the GoFundMe page said. "He also hasn't been able to hold down food. The medics have informed us more injuries will most likely pop up over the next few weeks."</p><p>The page added: "The medics and everyone is telling us he's lucky to be alive and is one of the strongest out there."</p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CwDxlRmAMBe/?img_index=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">On his Instagram story</a>, Jason Coffee thanked fans for their love and support and said, "It truly feels like a family." </p><p>"It looks like it's going to be a long road to recovery but Caleb is strong and we know he's going to get through this!" Jason Coffee wrote. </p><p>In his hospital video, Coffee said this wasn't the first time he nearly died. He told fans he had severe seizures when he was younger.</p><p>The comment section of his post has overflowed with messages of support from fans and other major creators like Danielle Cohn and Noah Glenn Carter. "Praying for you Caleb, get well soon. You are so strong," YouTuber Tanner Fox wrote.</p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CrwGdvTueLw/?img_index=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to his Instagram,</a> Coffee moved from Texas to Hawaii earlier this year. </p>

TikTok star Caleb Coffee fell off a cliff in Hawaii and broke multiple bones, his family said. His father said it's a 'miracle he's alive.'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Celebrities <keyword id="131478" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Brody-Jenner">Brody Jenner</keyword> and <keyword id="446674" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Scott-Disick">Scott Disick</keyword>, as well as influencer Danielle Cohn, are facing criticism on social media after promoting an app that's supposed to morph the appearance of your face to match certain races.</li><li>Jenner and Cohn both edited their faces to appear Black. </li><li>It was not immediately clear whether Jenner, Disick, or Cohn were paid for their promotions. </li></ul><p>Scott Disick, Brody Jenner, and influencer Danielle Cohn posted promotions for an app that morphed the appearance of their faces to make them appear as if they were different races.</p><p>The app supposedly uses artificial intelligence to adjust the user's face to show how one would look if you were "born on a different continent," Gradient's website says, though the app's primary functionality appears to be the ability to morph skin color and face shape. Several of the locations offered are countries, rather than continents, including Brazil and India. </p><p>In the filter example shown on the website, the model appears to be caucasian, with <keyword id="6751660" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="filters">filters</keyword> for "Asia," "Brazil," and "India" adjusting her skin color and facial features.</p><div type="image" title="Screen Shot 2020 09 23 at 10.41.49 AM" height="548" width="1145" msid="78283048" hostid="261"></div><p>Disick, Jenner, and Cohn are all white. Many social media users replied with criticism and questioned the app's intentions. </p><p>Jenner and Cohn both used filters to make them look Black, which some social media critics said was a form of <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-evolution-digital-blackface/">digital blackface</a>, or the use of social media by non-Black people to associate oneself with Blackness and Black <keyword id="24504" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="culture">culture</keyword>. </p><p>Jenner used the app to show his face adjusted by filters for Africa, Asia, and India. "You need to try this new feature in the gradient app," he said on Tuesday. </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Brody Jenner  (@BrodyJenner) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1308464092143742976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2020</a></blockquote><p>Disick's tweet showed his face adjusted by filters for Europe, Asia, and India, and he asked, "Which one is better?" </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Scott Disick  (@ScottDisick) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1308465165659074563?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2020</a></blockquote><p>Cohn's collaboration with Gradient, which she posted on TikTok on Tuesday, drew many negative comments. "This doesn't sit right with me," one user replied. TikToker Devenity Perkins, who is Black, commented on an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CFdEQshnXkq/">Instagram post about Cohn's video,</a> writing that "whoever made the app is a weirdo." </p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@daniellecohn/video/6875392965158636805" data-video-id="6875392965158636805" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@daniellecohn" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@daniellecohn">@daniellecohn</a> <p>How cool is that?!  What results do you have? ‍♀️‍♀️ <a title="gradient" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/gradient">##gradient</a> <a title="gradientchallenge" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/gradientchallenge">##gradientchallenge</a></p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ GradientMusic - Gradient" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/GradientMusic-6874262907056687873">♬ GradientMusic - Gradient</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>It was not immediately clear whether Jenner, Disick, or Cohn were paid for their promotions. Insider has reached out to Gradient for comment. </p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/danielle-cohn-age-youtube-instagram-tiktok-drama-teen-bio-instagram-2020-7">Teen influencer Danielle Cohn reignited speculation about her real age when she suggested she was 14 on Instagram. Here's how the social media star rose to prominence online.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/brody-jenner-khloe-kardashian-tristan-thompson-jordyn-woods-cheating-reports-2019-2">Brody Jenner said that Khloe Kardashian 'probably should have left' Tristan Thompson after the first round of cheating reports</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-search-for-filters-on-instagram">How to search for filters for your Instagram story and save them to your camera</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/instagram-artists-black-lives-matter-2020-6">Meet the artists behind the powerful Black Lives Matter artwork being shared across social media</a></li></ul>

Scott Disick and Brody Jenner criticized for promoting app that can make white users appear Black

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Thousands of <keyword id="624" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Women">women</keyword> began marching in cities across <keyword id="47414" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Poland">Poland</keyword> on Thursday to protest the nation's change in <keyword id="6357791" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="abortion">abortion</keyword> laws.</li><li>On Thursday, a court ruling banned abortions in the case of fetal malformations, which made up 98% of legal abortions last year, BBC reported.</li><li>The country will now only allow abortions in cases of rape, incest, or where the mother's life is endangered.</li><li>The ruling has sparked an outcry from rights groups who say that banning abortions will lead to more dangerous illegal terminations.</li></ul><p>Thousands of women are marching in Poland to protest the nation banning almost all <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/abortion">abortions</a>.</p><p>On Thursday, Poland's highest court ruled that abortions due to fetal malformations are unconstitutional. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54669257">According to BBC</a>, fetal malformation-related terminations made up 98% of legal abortions last year.</p><p>Poland's tribunal president Julia Przylebska said abortions related to fetal defects allowed for "eugenic practices with regard to an unborn child, thus denying it the respect and protection of human dignity," <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/22/world/europe/poland-tribunal-abortions.html">The New York Times reported.</a></p><p>The only abortions that will be allowed under the new laws are in cases of rape, incest, or whether the mother's life is endangered.</p><p>Beginning Thursday, thousands marched in protest of the new laws in major Polish cities including Krakow and Warsaw. </p><p>On Friday morning, protestors gathered outside the home of Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski in Warsaw.</p><p>The marches went in defiance of a <a href="https://www.poland.travel/en/travel-inspirations/safety-advice-for-travellers-concerning-the-covid-19-epidemic">public order banning gatherings</a> of more than 10 people to slow the spread of the coronavirus. </p><p>Protestors carried signs that read, "I would never give birth being dead," and "Without my life no life will exist."</p><div type="image" title="Protestors outside the home Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski in Warsaw." height="1298" width="1730" msid="78852092" hostid="261"></div><p>Police in riot gear used pepper spray and physical force to subdue protestors, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54669257">BBC reported</a>.</p><p>Protestors are demanding a referendum on the ruling and have said they will block traffic throughout the country on Monday, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/24/thousands-join-poland-protests-against-strict-abortion-laws">according to the Guardian.</a></p><p>Poland is a staunchly Roman Catholic country and was already known for having some of the <a href="https://reproductiverights.org/worldabortionlaws">strictest abortion laws in Europe</a> before the recent ruling.</p><p><a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1111313/poland-number-of-legal-abortions-1994-2018/">According to Statista</a>, there were 1,110 legal abortions in Poland in 2019 — up 3.2% from the previous year due to an increase in prenatal testing. A <a href="https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/138222/thesis_Ewa_Hirvonen.pdf?sequence=1">2017 study</a> estimated that up to 200,000 women have abortions in Poland each year, meaning a vast majority are done illegally.</p><p>Civil rights groups have spoken out against the ruling, saying it will lead to more illegal abortions. </p><p>"Legal prohibitions on abortion do not prevent abortion or reduce the rates of abortion -- they serve only to damage women's health by pushing abortions underground or forcing women to travel to foreign countries to access abortion care they need and to which they have a right," <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/10/polands-constitutional-tribunal-rolls-back-reproductive-rights/">Amnesty International said in a statement</a> on Thursday.</p><ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/stevie-nicks-abortion-fleetwood-mac-reproductive-rights-2020-10">Stevie Nicks says that if she had not gotten an abortion, she's 'pretty sure there would have been no Fleetwood Mac'</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/wap-abortion-protest-video-tiktok-north-carolina-teen-reads-clinic-2020-8">North Carolina teens are going viral for reading 'WAP' to an evangelical minister protesting outside an abortion clinic</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/leaked-audio-danielle-cohn-abortion-2020-7">Danielle Cohn's age and wellbeing are being called into question again after audio was leaked of her mother saying she has had an abortion</a></li></ul>

Thousands of women in Poland march to protest ban on almost all abortions

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/58063ffa8d83b41d008b50f9-1196/11242204_10102213598502651_8844763194612103317_o.jpg" border="0" alt="Mark Zuckerberg on phone" data-mce-source="Facebook" /><p class="source"><span>Facebook</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Mark Zuckerberg quietly created a TikTok account, <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/amphtml/ryanmac/zuckerberg-musically-tiktok-china-facebook">BuzzFeed's Ryan Mac</a> first reported. </li><li>The account is not verified but uses the handle "@finkd", which is the same as Zuckerberg's handle on Twitter. It's also tied to his verified Instagram account.</li><li>Zuckerberg only follows 61 people on TikTok and doesn't seem to have posted anything. <strong>He follows celebrities like Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez, but mostly he follows TikTok superstars like Loren Gray and Jacob Sartorius.</strong></li><li><strong>TikTok has become a formidable rival to Facebook, and is hugely popular with Generation Z - a demographic which has been abandoning Facebook.</strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></strong></li></ul><p>Mark Zuckerberg appears to be keeping a watchful eye on growing teen sensation TikTok, so much so that he quietly created his own account.</p><p>A <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/amphtml/ryanmac/zuckerberg-musically-tiktok-china-facebook">BuzzFeed report</a> published Wednesday revealed that in 2016 Facebook entered talks to acquire Musical.ly, the lip-syncing app from which TikTok eventually sprang. The talks didn't come to fruition and in 2017 Musical.ly was bought by Chinese tech giant ByteDance and merged with its existing short-form video app Douyin to form TikTok.</p><p>BuzzFeed also found what appears to be Zuckerberg's personal TikTok account with the handle "@finkd."</p><p>The account is not verified on TikTok, but it does link out to Zuckerberg's Instagram account. Zuckerberg also uses the @finkd handle on his inactive Twitter account.</p><p>Facebook was not immediately able to comment when contacted by Business Insider.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5dcbeae47eece5104103a373-1080/mark zuckerberg tiktok.jpg" border="0" alt="Mark Zuckerberg TikTok" data-mce-source="TikTok" data-mce-caption="Mark Zuckerberg's TikTok account is pretty empty." /><p class="source"><span>TikTok</span></p><p class="caption">Mark Zuckerberg's TikTok account is pretty empty.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>It seems Zuckerberg is something of a TikTok ghost. The account has a modest 4,055 followers and zero activity, with no posted videos or likes.</p><h2><strong>Zuckerberg follows celebrities like Jason Derulo and Ariana Grande<br /></strong></h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c26778cbd77305f087c7927-1771/ap18341179150622.jpg" border="0" alt="Ariana Grande" data-mce-source="Evan Agostini/Invision/AP" /><p class="source"><span>Evan Agostini/Invision/AP</span></p><p class="caption">Zuckerberg follows Ariana Grande on TikTok.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Zuckerberg only follows 61 people and all but three have blue ticks, marking them as verified or  "popular creator" accounts.</p><p>They break down to a mix of major celebrities, official accounts, and TikTok teen personalities (which make up the majority).</p><p><strong>Here is a quick crunch of the kind of TikTok accounts Zuckerberg follows:</strong></p><ul><li>Famous musicians Jason Derulo, Bruno Mars, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Olly Murs (269,000 followers), and Gwen Stefani.</li><li>Basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal.</li><li>TikTok superstars such as Loren Gray (34.9 million followers), Baby Ariel (29.9 million followers), Jacob Sartorius (21.million followers), Lucas and Marcus Dobre (18.1 million), Danielle Cohn (14.5 million followers).</li><li>Jiffpom, a Pomeranian dog with 19.5 million followers.</li><li>Three accounts with no ticks: "Fashion Videos" (7 million followers), a podcaster called Russ Turner (193,000 followers), an account that appears to belong to a teenage girl (406,000 followers).</li></ul><p>TikTok has become a major threat to Facebook, becoming a favorite with Generation Z as <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/6/18253274/facebook-users-decline-15-million-people-united-states-privacy-scandals">Facebook's user base ages and its engagement drops</a>.</p><p>Zuckerberg has spoken before about the competition Facebook faces from TikTok, saying in leaked audio that the company's strategy for dealing with the social media heir-apparent is to focus on new markets where TikTok hasn't got a foothold.</p>  <p class="tagline"><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/top-10-trends-in-digital-media?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=ctgr_bii&amp;itm_term=ctgr_leadgen&amp;itm_content=tiktok&amp;itm_campaign=top-10-trends-in-digital-media"><img src="https://static.businessinsider.com/image/5c3dfe69d4beaf36ab26e737" alt="Exclusive FREE Slide Deck: Top 10 Trends in Digital Media by Business Insider Intelligence" border="0" style="margin: 0 auto !important; width: 100% !important; min-width: 280px !important; max-width: 640px !important" /></a></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/we-used-the-motorola-droid-on-its-10th-anniversary-2019-11">I used the 10-year-old original Motorola Droid for a week</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/ZlGKO8Tz-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

This looks like Mark Zuckerberg's secret TikTok account, which follows celebrities and famous internet creators

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6360288" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="College">College</keyword> students at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill are using <keyword id="6762469" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="TikTok">TikTok</keyword> to vent their frustrations about the campus closing and switching to remote learning after just a week of classes.</li><li>UNC-Chapel Hill reported four distinct COVID-19 clusters and a sharp rise in students testing positive within two weeks of students moving into dorms and off-campus housing. </li><li>Showing off a newly decorated dorm room is a popular summer TikTok trend, but for this year's students, it's been repurposed as an ironic take on COVID-19 closures.</li><li>Students are also using TikTok to complain about their classmates' parties and failure to social distance.</li></ul><p>The <keyword id="390129" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="University-of-North-Carolina">University of North Carolina</keyword> at Chapel Hill was one of the first colleges in the US to reopen <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unc-will-go-remote-after-initially-opening-with-hybrid-plan-2020-8">with a hybrid plan</a> that would allow students to live in dorms as usual. It quickly turned into a disaster, as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unc-will-go-remote-after-initially-opening-with-hybrid-plan-2020-8">the university reported</a> 4 COVID-19 clusters within a week of classes starting, and had to move to remote learning.</p><p>Having lived in their freshly decorated dorm rooms for less than two weeks, frustrated UNC-Chapel Hill students expressed their discontent on TikTok, the app that has quickly become a favorite of Gen Z social media users. </p><p>Sharing a newly decorated dorm room has been an August and September trend on TikTok since the app exploded in popularity in 2018, transitioning away from a kid-driven lip-syncing platform and <a href="https://www.adweek.com/digital/tiktok-is-growing-up-and-so-are-its-users/">attracting a wider audience</a> of teens and undergraduates. </p><p>This year, the move-in trend has taken on an ironic tone, as students showcase putting up all of their decor just to take it back down and move out of their dorms. <keyword id="3984039" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="UNC">UNC</keyword> students have racked up hundreds of thousands of likes on the platform in the last week.</p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@marymilller01/video/6862143808054807814" data-video-id="6862143808054807814" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@marymilller01" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@marymilller01">@marymilller01</a> <p>laughing through the pain  <a title="unc" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/unc">##unc</a> <a title="fyp" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp">##fyp</a> <a title="dorm" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/dorm">##dorm</a> <a title="dormlife" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/dormlife">##dormlife</a> <a title="fail" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fail">##fail</a></p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ Still Don't Know My Name - Labrinth" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Still-Don't-Know-My-Name-6817120527187020549">♬ Still Don't Know My Name - Labrinth</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>Some UNC students posted their dorm room transformations as usual, just to make a video follow-up about how their decor "aged poorly" given the short-lived dorm reopening.</p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@mar.bev/video/6857922957193252102" data-video-id="6857922957193252102" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@mar.bev" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@mar.bev">@mar.bev</a> <p>can you tell what college we go to?? <a title="dormtransformation" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/dormtransformation">##dormtransformation</a> <a title="college" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/college">##college</a> <a title="dormlife" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/dormlife">##dormlife</a> <a title="unc" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/unc">##unc</a> <a title="chapelhill" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/chapelhill">##chapelhill</a></p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ Electric Love - BØRNS" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Electric-Love-227661605776420864">♬ Electric Love - BØRNS</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>An elaborate UNC dorm room reveal was followed by a TikTok 12 days later that says "Hey, um, we're packing up our dorm room because we got sent home."</p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@mar.bev/video/6862084599116221701" data-video-id="6862084599116221701" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@mar.bev" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@mar.bev">@mar.bev</a> <p>Reply to @bellag.grace   this didn’t age well✨</p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - mar.bev" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-6862084600093477638">♬ original sound - mar.bev</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>A similar dorm room transformation posted by a UNC student got over 80,000 likes when it was published two weeks ago.</p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@charismaticblackgal/video/6858057332836846853" data-video-id="6858057332836846853" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@charismaticblackgal" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@charismaticblackgal">@charismaticblackgal</a> <p>moved into my COLLEGE DORM WITH A WINDOW  i’ve been without one since forever. dreams come true  <a title="fyp" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp">##fyp</a> <a title="unc" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/unc">##unc</a> <a title="dorm" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/dorm">##dorm</a></p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ #violintransition - zachfromdisney" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/violintransition-6839001862314707718">♬ #violintransition - zachfromdisney</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>But Tuesday, the poster wrote "my college is kicking us out after a week," using the "you think you can hurt me?" TikTok meme format, which has been adopted as a way to share difficult past experiences.</p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@charismaticblackgal/video/6862439724712283397" data-video-id="6862439724712283397" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@charismaticblackgal" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@charismaticblackgal">@charismaticblackgal</a> <p>@ charismastev is the insta ✨ <a title="nowindow" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/nowindow">##nowindow</a> <a title="itstartsontiktok" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/itstartsontiktok">##ItStartsOnTikTok</a></p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ they tryna be fnaf - breh_herb" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/they-tryna-be-fnaf-6848363251265424134">♬ they tryna be fnaf - breh_herb</a> </section> </blockquote> <h2>UNC students have other complaints about the campus closure </h2><p>In addition to the dorm room transformations that are being packed up, some UNC students posted about their classmates' refusal to stop partying and adhere to social distance guidelines. One popular TikTok shows the creator's dorm-mates using a slip-n-slide in the rain.</p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@aneesa.s11/video/6862182180395748614" data-video-id="6862182180395748614" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@aneesa.s11" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@aneesa.s11">@aneesa.s11</a> <p>Did you know sliding thru detergent protects you from COVID-19 <a title="unc" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/unc">##unc</a> <a title="uncchapelhill" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/uncchapelhill">##uncchapelhill</a> <a title="fyp" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp">##fyp</a></p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ Circus - Music and Crowd Sound Effect - Hollywood Sound Effects" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Circus-Music-and-Crowd-Sound-Effect-6758350390116222977">♬ Circus - Music and Crowd Sound Effect - Hollywood Sound Effects</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>"We've been on campus for 2 weeks and they're sending us home," the video caption says, and the student overlayed circus music on top of the Snapchat footage. </p><p>Another TikTok is a compilation of clips of the slip-n-slide, as well as footage from UNC parties, with the caption "great job guys, we made it to national <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">news</keyword> in less than two weeks."</p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@bigheadsallyy/video/6861721463389539590" data-video-id="6861721463389539590" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@bigheadsallyy" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@bigheadsallyy">@bigheadsallyy</a> <p>great job guys, we made it to NATIONAL NEWS IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS <a title="unc" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/unc">##unc</a></p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - bigheadsallyy" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-6861721467810368262">♬ original sound - bigheadsallyy</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>One UNC student used their TikTok to express frustration with the university's housing and meal plan cost, writing that "We have only been on campus for a week &amp; they wait till the day that our bill was due to go home."</p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@jjamalp__/video/6862095562045426949" data-video-id="6862095562045426949" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@jjamalp__" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@jjamalp__">@jjamalp__</a> <p>you might’ve had the right idea but the wrong ! <a title="rockincollege" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/rockincollege">##RockinCollege</a> <a title="actionlines" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/actionlines">##ActionLines</a> <a title="whatsyourpower" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/whatsyourpower">##WhatsYourPower</a> <a title="artlessons" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/artlessons">##ArtLessons</a> <a title="perfectasiam" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/perfectasiam">##PerfectAsIAm</a> <a title="unc" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/unc">##unc</a> <a title="greenscreen" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/greenscreen">##greenscreen</a> <a title="unc" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/unc">##unc</a></p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ dont use if straight tiktok - militarnime" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/dont-use-if-straight-tiktok-6846207589475191558">♬ dont use if straight tiktok - militarnime</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>It's also not just UNC students hopping on the campus closure trend. One TikTok creator at a different college campus wrote "me getting my dorm room all set up as if im not going to be sent home in 3-4 business days because theres literally a pandemic and this isnt safe."</p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@brendanisugly/video/6862407313781787909" data-video-id="6862407313781787909" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@brendanisugly" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@brendanisugly">@brendanisugly</a> <p>how long til i’m sent home leys hear what everyone has to say</p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ Ushy Gushy My Puthy - theythemtiddies" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Ushy-Gushy-My-Puthy-6852780219728677637">♬ Ushy Gushy My Puthy - theythemtiddies</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>Another user wrote, "My whole fyp is college kids decorating their dorms during a pandemic [...] like pack it up,, oh wait you will in two weeks."</p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@down.to.clown/video/6862186653633596678" data-video-id="6862186653633596678" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@down.to.clown" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@down.to.clown">@down.to.clown</a> <p>I’m sorry but I literally laugh at every one of their videos WHAT DO THEY THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN BAHAHSKSKSL <a title="college" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/college">##college</a> <a title="dorm" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/dorm">##dorm</a> <a title="dormtok" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/dormtok">##dormtok</a> <a title="dormlife" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/dormlife">##dormlife</a> <a title="unc" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/unc">##unc</a></p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - teibabyy" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-6847497930165734149">♬ original sound - teibabyy</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>Read more:</p><ul class="read-more-links"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unc-will-go-remote-after-initially-opening-with-hybrid-plan-2020-8">UNC ditches its hybrid reopening plan after just a week for fully remote classes</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/bryce-hall-sway-house-birthday-party-lapd-tiktok-2020-8">Videos show a massive influencer's birthday party with over 100 guests and strippers was reportedly broken up by the LAPD</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/danielle-cohn-age-real-instagram-live-tiktok-2020-8">Teen influencer Danielle Cohn appeared to suggest she was really 14 in an Instagram live, reviving questions about her age</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/usps-postal-service-funding-crisis-fancams-edits-memes-2020-8">TikTok and Twitter activists are making USPS memes and fancams to highlight the crisis facing the agency</a></li></ul>

Disappointed UNC students are making tragic TikToks about their dorm rooms, bills, and roommates after campus housing closed due to COVID-19 outbreaks

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Tweens and teens across the globe are searching for their <keyword id="9788840" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="internet-best-friends">Internet Best Friends</keyword> (theoretical friend soul-mates) online.</li><li>The trend has snowballed during the pandemic as kids try to fill the void of real-life interactions. But they also aspire to meet their new Internet friends in real life.</li><li>Some experts warn that the trend of children talking to and meeting strangers could be dangerous, but others have said the practice can be safe with the right precautions.</li></ul><p>A best friend is wonderful, but a bff who you meet online, AKA an Internet Best Friend (<keyword id="56680" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="IBF">IBF</keyword>), is the end goal for many tweens and teens these days.</p><p>Turning to <keyword id="6762469" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="TikTok">TikTok</keyword>, <keyword id="6358096" type="DEFINITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="snapchat">Snapchat</keyword>, and Instagram, tweens and teens who have been trapped at home are looking for fast friendships with other young users who aren't already paired with an IBF. Deprived of IRL friends, they're finding new besties online, despite safety concerns.</p><h2><strong>Internet Best Friends are trending</strong></h2><p>The hashtag #IBF has 670 million views on TikTok. The trending Instagram hashtag #Internetbestfriends has over 320,000 posts, and dedicated accounts on the platform with thousands of followers collect videos of IBFs meeting for the first time.</p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@called.maxi/video/6834038018479852805" data-video-id="6834038018479852805" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@called.maxi" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@called.maxi">@called.maxi</a> <p>i n t e r n e t f r i e n d s first hug with @romy.kstr  ❤️ <a title="hug" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/hug">##hug</a> <a title="train" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/train">##train</a> <a title="ibf" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/ibf">##ibf</a> <a title="fulda" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fulda">##fulda</a> <a title="foryou" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foryou">##foryou</a> <a title="foryoupage" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foryoupage">##foryoupage</a></p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ Originalton - called.maxi" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Originalton-6834037975421143814">♬ Originalton - called.maxi</a> </section> </blockquote> <blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BuGsx4nh5s5" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Tag your ibf ❣️ —————— Song: this is gospel Distance: 110 km Country: UK Account: @quack._.potato #internetbffs #ibf #hug #internetbestfriends #internetbesties #ibfhug #besties #bestfriends #friends #friendship #friend4ever #ibfmeeting ____________________________________________________ {❤️follow @internetbestfriendvideo for more❤️}</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by  Internet Best Friend Video (@internetbestfriendvideo2) on Feb 20, 2019 at 5:07am PST<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2019-02-20T13:07:35+00:00">Feb 20, 2019 at 5:07am PST</time></p></div></blockquote><p>One recent post reveals a common type of IBF personal ad: "I'm 13, and I'm looking for some new IBFs. I'm from Arizona, I'm looking for anyone 12-16. I love to talk a lot." On Instagram, there are entire accounts devoted to posting these listings.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh2ilWdlX_7" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Go DM @paris.woahh to be ibf✨ @paris.woahh @paris.woahh @paris.woahh @paris.woahh @paris.woahh @paris.woahh @paris.woahh @paris.woahh @paris.woahh</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by  INTERNET BEST FRIEND FINDER  (@internet_best_friend_finder_21) on Apr 21, 2018 at 5:13pm PDT<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2018-04-22T00:13:26+00:00">Apr 21, 2018 at 5:13pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><p>The trend is so popular that an app called Reach has secured over<a href="https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/reach-internet-best-friends"> $5 million in funding</a> based on the idea. It's supposed to allow young people to connect to anyone looking for an IBF between the ages of 13 and 55. </p><p>But most teens and tweens appear to prefer sticking with the tried-and-true method of posting their ad on TikTok or Instagram.</p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/K2TnIWLHXa8" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>Alexa, 12, met her Internet Best Friend, Bean, on Instagram after seeing her post that read, "I'm taking applications for an IBF, has to be 10-13-years-old, has Snapchat and has at least 100 followers."</p><p>Soon after, they exchanged phone numbers and became instant best friends. Bean is also from Massachusetts and they're the same age. Their favorite topic of conversation: the famous TikToker Charli D'Amelio. "We talked for weeks, became best friends and it's almost been 6 months already," 12-year-old Alexa said. "We're planning on meeting."</p><h2><strong>Friendship on-demand</strong></h2><p>One of Alexa's favorite things about her Internet Best Friend is that she's almost always available online.</p><p>"I feel like she's so much more up for talking than my friends in real life," Alexa said. "She's always available."</p><p>They primarily communicate now via Snapchat, and talk about everything from TikTok to gymnastics to friendships.</p><p>Despite obvious safety concerns of meeting strangers on the internet, some parents are coming around to the idea, too. "It's a bit strange at first, but as she described it, it normalized it," said Mike, Alexa's father.</p><p>He understands the benefits: his daughter is able to socialize during the pandemic while avoiding the cliques of middle school. But he still worries.</p><p>"My obvious and immediate concern is predators masquerading as kids," Mike said. So before Alexa really communicates with someone online, he confirms that she's able to FaceTime with them so he knows the person on the other end is really who she claims to be online.</p><p>"Other concerns are the possibility of disengagement from existing, in real-life friendships," he said. "Screen addiction is also a concern."</p><h2><strong>Many IBFs meet IRL</strong></h2><p>Internet Best Friends typically don't remain on the internet. They usually plan to meet. And these meetings are nothing if not dramatic and over-the-top, reminiscent of viral reunions between soldiers and their families. </p><p>That's because the IBF pairs put a lot of time and effort into planning the perfect first meeting. </p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8FreBoPWKLc" frameborder="0"></iframe><p>Outfits are often coordinated, and many choose to "twin" with the best friend they haven't actually met. Then it's time to take out the phones.</p><p>IBFs meeting for the first-time often tape the moment and immediately put it on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. A search on YouTube for Internet Best Friends reveals thousands of first meetings, mostly of girls clutching each other and crying, falling to the ground in an exaggerated hug, thrilled that they finally met their besties in real life. </p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@fleur.roberts/video/6851865555822005509" data-video-id="6851865555822005509" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@fleur.roberts" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@fleur.roberts">@fleur.roberts</a> <p>I travelled from Poole —&gt; Essex to  surprise @amicharlize  for her birthday party :) <a title="fyp" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp">##fyp</a> <a title="ibf" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/ibf">##ibf</a></p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ Break the Distance - Ashton Edminster" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Break-the-Distance-6767364588246665218">♬ Break the Distance - Ashton Edminster</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>Alexa hasn't met her IBF yet. </p><p>"I asked her where she lives," said Mike, Alexa's father, who approves of her online friends, even though the concept is slightly confusing to him. Turns out, Alexa made two Internet Best Friends. One is in Massachusetts, but Alexa doesn't know which town. The other is in New York, but she doesn't know anything beyond the name of the state.</p><h2><strong>Some child advocates warn that the trend could be dangerous</strong></h2><p>Meeting a stranger on the Internet and then meeting them in person has been <a href="https://theconversation.com/stranger-danger-in-the-online-and-real-world-79517">warned against </a>since the early days of the Internet, with dangers ranging from kidnapping to rape and even murder. </p><p>Even with precautions like meeting on FaceTime first, Gail Dines, president of <a href="https://www.culturereframed.org/board/">Culture Reframed</a>, a non-profit that aims to shield children from porn on the internet and sexualized media, said the practice is still risky.</p><p>"Studies show that predators are using teen platforms to groom children," Dines said. "The main sites where predators are grooming kids are TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram."</p><p>These <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/techtank/2016/05/11/sextortion-the-problem-and-solutions/">studies</a> found that sextortion — a crime defined by the FBI as threatening to distribute private material if a victim doesn't provide sexual images, money, or sexual favors — is a growing trend online with thousands of victims in over 200 public cases, according to Brookings and <a href="https://www.lawfareblog.com/new-data-sextortion-124-additional-public-cases">LawFare</a>. The <a href="https://www.justice.gov/psc/file/842411/download">Justice Department</a> describes sextortion as "by far the most significantly growing threat to children." </p><p>Since kids of all ages are spending about 500 percent more time online, according to a new <a href="https://parents-together.org/parents-alarmed-as-kids-screen-time-skyrockets-during-covid-19-crisis-heres-what-you-can-do/">ParentsTogether survey,</a> thanks to the pandemic, online dangers are more prominent than ever before, said Patricia Vercillo, vice president of Smith Training Centre, which examines online scams and dangers. </p><p>Vercillo suggested that families keep it old school with board games, family time, arts and crafts. </p><p>At the very least, try to convince your teen/tween to err on the side of safety before meeting their IBF in real life, said Alexis Moore, a cyberstalking and cybercrime expert, and author of "A Parent's Guide to Cyberstalking and Cyberbullying." This means spending ample time chatting via Facetime before arranging to see each other in real life, bringing a parent with you when meeting, and only gathering in a public space. "Teens and tweens are incredible people, but you are not invincible," she said.</p><h2><strong>Some say the practice could be safe as long as parents are involved</strong></h2><p>Not all experts agree on the risks, however. Some say that as long as parents are involved, meeting a best friend online may be no more dangerous than meeting one at school.</p><p>"The risks don't go up because it is online — as long as you do your due diligence," said Lea Lis, a double board-certified adult and child psychiatrist and author of "No Shame: Real Talk with your Kids about Sex, Self-Confidence and Healthy Relationships."  Many of the children in Lis' practice — especially those with social skills deficits — meet their friends online. She even has an Asperger's patient who met his boyfriend online.  "They have been online dating for 9 months, and have never met," Lis said. "It allows anxious people that don't do well with initial face-to-face social interaction to foster a bond with someone."</p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@izistyping/video/6856914896357985542" data-video-id="6856914896357985542" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@izistyping" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@izistyping">@izistyping</a> <p>Meeting @mxariix  (tiktok took it down) <a title="gotmilkchallenge" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/gotmilkchallenge">##GotMilkChallenge</a> <a title="streetfashion" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/streetfashion">##StreetFashion</a> <a title="entrepreneur" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/entrepreneur">##Entrepreneur</a> <a title="fyp" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp">##fyp</a> <a title="foryou" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foryou">##foryou</a> <a title="foryoupage" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/foryoupage">##foryoupage</a> <a title="inmyaejeans" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/inmyaejeans">##InMyAEJeans</a> <a title="gay" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/gay">##gay</a> <a title="ibf" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/ibf">##ibf</a> <a title="distance" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/distance">##distance</a> <a title="love" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/love">##love</a></p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - izistyping" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-6856914909695970053">♬ original sound - izistyping</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>If the Internet Best Friends want to meet, Lis suggests that the parents meet first and that the kids go to a public place. </p><p>For now, the IBF trend is a positive one, she said.  "During COVID, it is even better because face-to-face opportunities are much harder," Lis said. "I used to frown upon that when they'd only communicate socially online, but now I feel thankful." </p><p>"At some point, they'll probably get together, but it hasn't been discussed yet," Mike said. </p><p><strong>Read more:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/gabbie-hanna-new-song-trisha-paytas-feud-return-youtube-2020-8">Internet star Gabbie Hanna returned to YouTube and announced that she's releasing a song about Trisha Paytas</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/danielle-cohn-age-real-instagram-live-tiktok-2020-8">Teen influencer Danielle Cohn appeared to suggest she was really 14 in an Instagram live, reviving questions about her age</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/eden-the-doll-robbery-trans-assault-attacked-hollywood-boulevard-2020-8">Disturbing videos show 3 transgender influencers being robbed and beaten on Hollywood Boulevard, sparking a police investigation</a></p>

You Searched For "danielle cohn" and got 10 results

Teen YouTuber Danielle Cohn's ex-boyfriend claims she's only 14 as speculation around her age continues to grow

Kat Tenbarge

Teen influencer Danielle Cohn appeared to suggest she was really 14 in an Instagram live, reviving questions about her age

Margot Harris,Kat Tenbarge

Teen influencer Danielle Cohn spoke openly about her abortion after becoming embroiled in controversy. Here's how the social media star rose to prominence online.

Margot Harris

Danielle Cohn's age and wellbeing are being called into question again after audio was leaked of her mother saying she has had an abortion

Lindsay Dodgson

TikTok star Caleb Coffee fell off a cliff in Hawaii and broke multiple bones, his family said. His father said it's a 'miracle he's alive.'

Rebecca Cohen,Kieran Press-Reynolds

Scott Disick and Brody Jenner criticized for promoting app that can make white users appear Black

Rachel E. Greenspan

Thousands of women in Poland march to protest ban on almost all abortions

Zoë Ettinger

This looks like Mark Zuckerberg's secret TikTok account, which follows celebrities and famous internet creators

Isobel Asher Hamilton

Disappointed UNC students are making tragic TikToks about their dorm rooms, bills, and roommates after campus housing closed due to COVID-19 outbreaks

Kat Tenbarge

Teens are looking for total strangers to be their 'Internet Best Friends' and creating dramatic meet-up videos once they make a match

Danielle Braff