A recent trend known on TikTok as the ‘Holocaust Challenge’ has been branded ‘demeaning’ and ‘disrespectful’, with many calling for the videos to be taken down.
The Holocaust saw six million European Jewish people systematically murdered between 1941 and 1945.
The single-most traumatic event for the Jewish people in the 20th century, the killings were organised by Germany’s Nazi party, led by Adolf Hitler.
So what exactly is the ‘Holocaust Challenge’?
What is the ‘Holocaust Challenge’ on TikTok?
The new ‘Holocaust Challenge’ trend on TikTok sees users filming themselves whilst pretending to be victims of the Holocaust.
Those in the videos talk to the camera as though they are in heaven, looking back at how they died in the Nazi death camps.
The clips have been widely criticised online with many rightfully labelling the ‘trend’ as unacceptable and disrespectful.
Dr Martin Stern MBE, who was held in concentration camps at both Westerbork and Theresienstadt as a child, said the videos showed a lack of understanding. ‘I’m absolutely outraged,’ he told metro.co.uk.
‘This generation are being brought up self-satisfied in their ignorance and give huge offence.’
Several of those who posted videos have now apologised, with one user deleting her account.
The Auschwitz Museum, which is on the site of the former German Nazi concentration camp in Oświęcim, Poland, described the trend as ‘beyond the border of trivialization of history’ and ‘very painful’, although also warned against ‘vilifying, shaming and attacking’ young people who have posted videos on the subject.
More than a million people were killed at Auschwitz between 1940 and 1945 and the museum now serves to educate future generations on the past.
The museum’s response to the offensive trend was posted to their official Twitter account, in which they call for ‘respect towards the victims, proper language and content as well as factual accuracy’ when talking about the Holocaust on social media.
‘The stories of people who were imprisoned and murdered in Auschwitz are incredibly tragic, painful, and emotional. It is crucial to share the individual stories to commemorate and educate. It is also important to place the stories within the context of accuracy and respect.’
What have TikTok said in response to the ‘Holocaust Challenge’?
When approached by Metro.co.uk for comment, TikTok reps pointed us in the directions of the site’s community guidelines.
According to the review of the Holocaust clips by the platform’s Trust and Safety team, these videos not ‘constitute a violation’ of the guidelines due to their educational nature and ‘aim to raise awareness’.
However, a TikTok spokesperson told Newsbeat the platform’s ‘top priority’ is keeping their community safe, saying:’We preemptively blocked users’ ability to search for #holocaustchallenge earlier this week and we are also redirecting any searches for this hashtag to our Community Guidelines to further educate users.’
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/08/28/what-holocaust-challenge-tiktok-many-call-hurtful-offensive-videos-taken-13190868/
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