Simply Cryst

Strictly for assignment purposes 😉

[cryst-writes]

Not a Recent “Recent” Scandal on TikTok

Question… Have you guys heard of Clara Dao…

Yes, THAT Clara Dao. If y’all never heard of her, let me give you a brief introduction. According to Mesa (2025), Clara Dao built an online presence centred around body positivity and embracing her flat chest, eventually gaining more than 8 million followers across platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Her content inspired many people to feel more confident in their own bodies, especially those who related to her insecurities and experiences.

Very positive right… until things took a HUGE turn, and I mean HUGE.

On 2025’s April Fools’, she posted a video titled “I had a b00b job.” and I kid you not, of course it went viral. Even though the caption clearly stated “happy april’s fool”, many people still believed it, or at least had suspicions about it. Since the video was posted on April Fools’, people waited to see if she was joking or not until she uploaded another video on the 3rd of April stating that her “b00b job” was still there.

According to Gupwell (2026), she revealed that people began calling her a “fraud” after her boob job, especially because her platform was originally built around embracing her flat chest and promoting body positivity. People felt betrayed, and to many followers, it felt contradictory and insensitive, even if it was meant to be a joke.

Things got even messier because she was already facing criticism before this for allegedly promoting unhealthy eating habits and unrealistic body standards. This caused many followers to question the authenticity of her message and whether her actions aligned with what she had previously advocated online.

In the end, she did upload an apology video:

She explained that she was in a very egoistic mindset whenever the public commented on her body, to the point where she did not fully consider how her actions could negatively affect the people who genuinely looked up to her and found comfort in her content. She admitted that she became too focused on proving a point and defending herself instead of thinking about how her audience would feel.

But still, lots of people decided to stop supporting her due to her actions not matching her words… while others continued defending her by saying, “It’s her body, her choice.”

And honestly, I can kind of see both sides.

On one hand, yes, people absolutely have the freedom to do whatever they want with their own body. But on the other hand, when your entire platform is built around advocating for a certain message, audiences are naturally going to hold you accountable for it too. 

Overall, this is genuinely such a controversial discussion to have, and even until now, I still see people debating about it in her comment sections. And personally… I don’t think people are gonna let this slide anytime soon, not to mention she somehow has decided to open an OF account… I am NOT going into that tho, as I myself did not take a look at it yet so I am unsure of what contents are inside, leaving no discussion right now.

So yeah… any thoughts?

References:

Clara Dao. (2025). a (late) apology. . . [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwr7EXoRezc 

Gupwell, K. (2026). “I used to flaunt my flat chest but now I’m called fraud for having boob job.” Daily Mirror. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/i-used-flaunt-flat-chest-36752632 

Mesa, V. (2025). She Built a Platform for Body Positivity. Then She Lost Thousands of Followers When She Opened Up About Her Boob Job (Exclusive). People. https://people.com/influencer-speaks-out-about-backlash-following-breast-implant-surgery-exclusive-11820508

[cryst-writes]

An Overall Discussion on Slow Fashion & Influencers 👗

I’d like to ask, does the term “slow fashion” actually click with anyone’s lifestyle? I believe some will… but let’s be real, most of us probably won’t 🤓

Just for context, slow fashion basically refers to a more conscious and ethical approach to clothing, focusing on sustainability, quality, and mindful consumption instead of just buying whatever is trendy at the moment. It’s about thinking twice before purchasing, and being aware of how our choices impact the environment and society. Studies have shown that slow fashion is closely tied to ethical values and conscious consumption, where people consider not just style, but also about social responsibility (Lira & Costa, 2022; Domingos et al., 2022).

Talking about social media influencers and slow fashion together though, I do believe most people would have at least one influencer in mind. And for me, that influencer is Mia Maples. If you are someone who loves watching YouTube and fashion contents, you’ll know her! She’s someone who consistently promotes more mindful consumption, especially through her clothing review videos. She is always looking out for any sustainability actions performed by the brand itself. For example, in her most recent brand reviewing video, “Watch BEFORE You Buy from Peppermayo”, she dives into their website to search for any statements or actions regarding sustainability.

She also often promotes thrifting in her contents, which aligns closely with the idea of slow fashion. And honestly, influencers like her play a huge role in shaping how audiences will think and behave. As discussed by Ozuem and Willis (2025), influencers today are increasingly shifting from promoting fast fashion to advocating for more sustainable consumption, using their platforms to influence followers’ attitudes and choices.

But here’s the thing… as much as I adore the idea of slow fashion reality hits. In today’s economy, not everyone can afford to fully commit to it. Sustainable clothing is often more expensive, the closest example in our real life is Uniqlo… they aren’t the cheapest brand as we know. And when you’re trying to balance budget and lifestyle, sometimes… price just wins. And that, I feel, is the biggest challenge of slow fashion. It’s not that people don’t care, it’s that not everyone has the privilege to choose it.

So yeah… basically, while influencers can inspire change and raise awareness, the actual adoption of slow fashion still depends on individual circumstances. And overcoming that gap is quite a challenge. It’s a nice idea, a meaningful movement… but also a complicated one. 🥹

References: Domingos, M., Vale, V. T., & Faria, S. (2022). Slow fashion consumer behavior: A literature review. Sustainability, 14(5), 2860.

Lira, J. S. D., & Costa, M. F. D. (2022). Theory of planned behavior, ethics and intention of conscious consumption in Slow Fashion Consumption. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, 26(5), 905-925.

Ozuem, W., & Willis, M. (2025). Social Media Influencers: Transition from Fast Fashion to Slow Sustainable Causes. In Sustainable Digital Marketing for Fashion and Luxury Brands: Theory and Practice (pp. 211-236). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.

[cryst-writes]

Talking ‘bout Podcasts Community 🎙️

Y’all, as someone who loves podcasts, I’ve been thinking about how they’ve evolved… especially when it comes to the communities forming around them online… hmm🤔

Obviously we all know that podcasts are at least an hour long, some may even stretch up to 3 hours, crazy right. And well, since the rise of short form videos, podcast channels have been creating clips of their podcasts to post on social media like TikTok to attract and gain more audiences. This method has proven to be highly effective, allowing podcast creators to gain visibility much faster than before. For example, our local podcast @sembangseram on TikTok, also known as Safwan Nazri Podcast on YouTube, shows quite a difference in engagement between platforms, highlighting how audiences today are more drawn to short, easily digestible content.

More importantly, what I’m trying to say is, posting these clips on social media really does help them gain exposure but also build a community. Where? Well, the comment section. People go there to discuss about the clips, share their opinions, and even debate with one another. They might leave their own thoughts or reply to others, therefore creating a chain of interaction that keeps the conversation going. 

Now I know you might ask… doesn’t YouTube have comments too? Yeah, it does. But I feel like with longer videos, people usually wait until they finish everything before saying something. There’s just more to process. But with short clips, it’s straight to the point, once it ends, people already have something to say and just drop it in the comments immediately. Engagement like these simply reflects how TikTok communities are shaped by emotional connections and interaction, where users are “tied” together through shared responses to the contents (Bickham et al., 2026). In a way, the comment section becomes a small community where people feel involved, heard, and connected.

However, here’s the big deal, these spaces don’t just encourage discussion… they also encourage strong opinions. Since interactions happen without face-to-face communication, people tend to express more openly, or worse, aggressively. TikTok, as a platform, also plays a role in shaping how users behave. As said by Xu et al. (2025), its features and structure influence how people communicate and respond to content, reflecting certain “platform values” that guide user interaction. Simply said, without physical presence or accountability, people may feel more comfortable sharing blunt or controversial takes, especially when it’s out of context.

And… well, this is where things can be quite messy... While podcast clips are meant to attract audiences, they can also be easily misunderstood without the full context. A short 30-second or one minute clip cannot fully represent a whole hour discussion, yet it is often judged as if it does. And how does it usually end? Yup, just a bunch of backlash, criticism, or even calls for cancel culture. To step it up, TikTok’s features, such as stitching and replying, can amplify this behaviour by allowing users to respond directly, sometimes in a confrontational or mocking way. As Fichman and Amidu (2025) explain, these features can contribute to “reciprocal trolling,” where users engage in cycles of negative interaction and conflict. What starts as a simple discussion can quickly turn into hostility. 

Additionally, let’s be honest, online communities can sometimes develop gatekeeping behaviours too, where people judge others’ opinions or decide what is considered a “right” or “wrong” take. Creating an even more toxic environment where people feel pressured to conform or risk being attacked. Tompkins and Guajardo (2026) highlight how algorithm-driven platforms like TikTok can shape these dynamics, influencing which voices are amplified and how communities regulate themselves.

In the end, podcast clips on TikTok show both sides of social media. On one hand, they create opportunities for connection, discussion, and community-building. On the other hand, they also amplify negativity, misunderstandings, and conflict. But then again, this is simply just my opinion. 😉🤷🏻‍♀️ Quote, if it turns into a fight, I’m choosing peace over being right 😭

References: Bickham, C., Chu, M. D., Yuan, A., Lookingbill, V., Mohammadi, E., Murray, S., Lerman, K., & Ferrara, E. (2026). Tied In on TikTok: Tie Strength and Emotional Dynamics in Algorithmic Communities. https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.22504 Fichman, P., & Amidu, G. (2025). The roles of collapsing contexts and TikTok’s features in reciprocal trolling. Information, Communication & Society, 28(8), 1442–1462. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2024.2391820 Tompkins, J. E., & Guajardo (née Brown), A. M. (2026). Gatekeeping the Gatekeepers: An Exploratory Study of Transformative Games Fandom & TikTok Algorithms. Games and Culture, 21(2), 213–230. https://doi.org/10.1177/15554120241244416 Xu, Y., Karppinen, K., & Pantti, M. (2025). Platform Values and Strategic Positioning: An Analysis of TikTok’s Community Guidelines and Public Communications in 2018-2024. Observatorio (OBS*), 19(4), 46. https://doi.org/10.15847/obsOBS19420252705

[cryst-writes]

Sharing our group’s photos during Progression Event 😆 It was a great mix of teamwork, laughter, and learning 🎥