- Here's the thing, you know,
I know people are gonna make fun of this
and think that this isn't a serious matter,
but I think we have to talk to her
and I think I have to talk about it,
and we have to let people know that this actually,
this is serious and it can ruin your life.
(eerie music)
- [Reporter] TikTok is a social media sensation.
One of the hottest apps for videos
of dance challenges with friends.
- [Reporter] The social media app TikTok
has taken the world by storm in just two years.
- [Male Reporter] TikTok is huge.
It's the fastest growing social media app in the world.
- If you haven't heard of the TikTok app,
your children probably have.
They might even be on it.
- [Male Reporter] As TikTok continues to grow,
the business model is being questioned
and tested at a scale not seen before.
But there's another side to the app,
that's less well known,
and it's less creative
and it's less fun.
(music echoing)
- Oh no!
My light fell off.
Were we going to add a couple more lights?
'cause I feel like this is really dark.
And why is this horizontal?
- [Tyler] This camera?
- Yeah.
- [Tyler] Like, what do you mean?
- Well 'cause it, I mean,
if we're doing a TikTok,
like it's not the right way.
- [Tyler] I know that you asked me to come here
(short music clips playing)
Justine?
Justine!
- Jenna I need your help with something.
I got this whole thing of toilet paper
I waited 45 minutes in line at Costco for it.
I think it's going to be probably my best TikTok ever.
- Wait, this is for a TikTok?
It's not for like
- (sighs) What do you mean?
- Not for real life?
- What do you mean?
- Is that my phone?
Can I take this back?
- Take what back?
- My phone!
- No!
Hold on a second!
Everything's not always about you.
- I mean honestly, it's been really
kind of a rough three weeks
dealing with my sister, Justine.
I'm sure if you guys follow her one the Internet
you know she's been making
all of this crazy content on TikTok.
♪ Oh think of me ♪
♪ Oh think of me fondly ♪
♪ My loneliness ♪
♪ Is killing me ♪
♪ Woo y'all gon' make me lose my mind ♪
- It's great and I'm happy for her,
but it's actually been affecting my life
and I'm just really worried.
I really need my phone back.
- Hold on a second!
This will take literally, probably 30 seconds
because it's only 15 second video.
Where's Tyler?
He was supposed to be here 45 minutes ago to help us.
- No, you told him he had to stop to get something
for TikTok didn't you?
- Oh shoot, that's right!
I needed ice cubes.
- I've been making videos with Justine
for a little over a year now
and it's been great.
Up until recently.
- Do you need me?
- Yes!
- I have to get this video done.
- I have no other friends,
I don't know what you want me to do.
Has anybody danced with toilet paper yet?
No.
- When do I throw it in?
- I just told you.
♪ I'm crying 'cause I love you ♪
- Didn't mean to!
- You're not taking this seriously!
- Is it from that when I throw it?
- This isn't funny, this isn't funny.
- You never told me when you wanted it to
- Throw it when you feel it!
- So when it does that?
When it's that
- Yes!
- Okay well you never told me that!
- [Justine] Yeah I did.
- I always try to be supportive.
You know I've been helping her make content
for the past ten years
and I truly believe that being supportive
of your family members and friends is important.
I just don't know where to draw the line.
Am I being supportive or am I being an enabler?
(Lizzo's "'Cause I Love You" playing)
- I dropped it.
(yells) Start over!
Start over!
It was actually a pretty good performance.
It seems very authentic.
People love when you "post from drafts."
(screaming) Jenna, one more!
- I was excited to work with Justine,
I was like really thrilled about the opportunity
and she was sort of looking to
elevate her content a little bit,
and so I was happy that we were going to
sort of take things to a different level.
And now that's all just completely gone.
- Can I have my phone back?
- Yes, it's upstairs in the bathroom.
Oh, Tyler!
Hello!
You're late.
- And this all happened once before with an app called Vine.
And she just gets obsessed.
- [Justine] (shouting) Jenna!
- What are you doing?
- Okay, no.
- What is this?
- No one has done this TikTok yet, I assure you.
- Okay well what do you need?
'cause I have to go to work and do stuff like
- I need phones.
Like, you're asking really stupid questions.
- [Tyler] Have you tried to confront her about it
or talk to her about it?
- Yeah, she doesn't care.
She said, "No, I will be famous on TikTok."
- Is that right?
How does that look?
- I don't, I can't see it.
I can't see what you're doing.
- This is what I'm doing.
All right we're going to start, ready?
- Okay.
- We're on a roll!
- Okay.
♪ No I can't ♪
♪ No I can't, no I can't ♪
♪ Wait to get out of here ♪
♪ I see you at the movies ♪
- Okay I think we're too early.
- I was too early?
- No, I was.
- We really need to work on your timing.
- [Tyler] It seems like she's happy,
but she has these outbursts
that never used to happen before.
- Hold on a second!
Start over!
'Cause you mess up the timing!
- The only time she's happy is
when she gets a lot of views on TikTok.
- I mean, honestly, I am a little scared.
We've been down this path before
and this time it's actually way worse.
- I think that she has
a lot of insecurity
about TikTok dances.
I think she really wants to do them,
but she just kind of can't.
She tries to get me to teach her these TikTok dances,
as if I know what she's talking about.
- She bought a $50,000 computer
to edit TikToks.
- This is going to be great,
I really want the audio to be the best that it can be,
so I just need to sync it up here.
♪ I see you at the movies ♪
All right, I think I'm almost done,
let me do a little color grading here.
Tyler, what do you think?
- [Tyler] I'm sorry.
- What's wrong?
- [Tyler] I can't do this anymore.
♪ I see you at the movies ♪
♪ I see you at the movies, baby ♪
♪ I did a full 180, baby ♪
- She wants to be TikTok famous so badly
that she's even starting to buy crop tops.
(scissors snipping)
She hates crop tops!
I'm sorry.
- [Tyler] I'm a professional
and I can't just be making TikToks all the time.
I can't
- Of course, but we can shoot,
do you want to upgrade the gear?
Like honestly, I know you wanted to start shooting with red.
- [Tyler] It's not even about the gear.
It's just that it's a TikTok,
you don't need gear to make TikToks.
- But I just bought a Mac Pro.
- [Tyler] It's just not what I do
and I just can't keep doing it anymore.
And I'm not saying I have anything against TikTok
I'm just saying that it should be something that's fun
- I'm having fun.
- [Tyler] Yeah but you keep yelling at us all the time.
- This is a very calm and collected voice that I am using.
Okay, okay.
What are you saying?
- [Tyler] We're just concerned about your well being
and mental health.
- Is fine. I'm...
- [Tyler] And we just want you to stop.
- Jenna, did you know about this?
This is an ambush!
I feel personally attacked!
It's fine.
If you guys aren't on board, it doesn't even matter anymore.
Because you know what, TikTok has a self timer
and I can do this alone!
Jenna!
Oh my, she's actually over here Googling
"TikTok intervention."
- [Jenna] No I'm not!
- [Justine] Do you even know?
Okay, you know what, I'm going to see if anyone from
the Hype House has messaged me back.
Probably not because they probably think
that I'm their mom, and I'm not their mom!
(screaming) I'm going to the Hype House!
(screaming)
- [Jenna] I have to go save her
from herself.
(somber music)
Well another thing about the phones is
she now carries six phones at a time,
and I have to hold her backpack and her purse a lot
and that's heavy, so that's just a personal,
I'm kind upset about that.