Sometimes parents can indeed be “the worst.” Especially when you are a teenager and the generational gap can feel like a painfully wide chasm. Some parents do not even deserve the title, others, fail because they do not know any better, or because they too are human, just with a few more years of life lived under their belt – and ideally more experience and astuteness.
It is hard to tell what is exactly the case in this TikTok video. At face value, and as the poster claims, the man, her father, is climbing through the window to attack her, which is reprehensible, to say the least. But neither the video, nor the caption, nor the comments provide enough context for people to objectively reach the conclusion of what was truly taking place.
We weren’t there, at the end of the day. But here’s what we know from Kirsten, the daughter’s, side.
He’s climbing your window
As a general rule of thumb, the recordings you have of someone attacking you ought to be handed to the police, if and when it comes to that extent. I do not know how to feel about sharing it over an 8-second video, with a recent Taylor Swift song muffling what is actually being said, and the caption: “Imagine climbing through a window attacking me 😳 #fyp #viral #trend”
That is not to say Kirsten’s intentions were negative, or that scrutiny should be brought upon her. It should not. Her problems with her father should be ultimately for her and the one in question to solve, or, alternatively, with law enforcement’s help if it comes to that. It is true and should be acknowledged, that not all police departments take all complaints seriously. On the other hand, sharing online what is portrayed as evidence of abuse, if the person in question is not detained, seems to be a vulnerable position to be placed in relation to one’s aggressor if they were to find out. For one reason or another, this TikTok user does not seem afraid of the consequences of posting.
Due to questions such as these, the poster subsequently decided to provide more context.
Contextualization
The TikToker decided to respond to one of the more derisive comments by reposting the video, but this time, narrated by her.
But while she is implicitly denouncing her dad online for abuse, Kristen also seemingly wants her father to pay attention to her, as she expressed in a more recent TikTok.
Of course, we want to be supportive first and foremost. That should nevertheless be our first inclination. But we can still have questions if there are questions to be had. The initial caption left all context out. Kristen’s retroactive explanation raised red flags in regards to her father’s behavior but her way of going about it online, especially when she posts how “Sometimes all you need is your dad…” on another TikTok a few days later, seems like a miss rather than a hit. But I may be wrong. In the end, it is not for anyone but those involved to judge.
It must be said that it is heartening to see the support most of the comments show. Many of the questions, such as “What’s happening??” are also posed devoid of any judgment or ill-intention – of course, there’s a few who are less gracious in their comments, but thankfully that’s not the case for most. It is better to withhold judgment than be too quick to throw a rock. One should be able to ask the questions, if one has them, without antagonizing the person being asked.
Here’s hoping that it is online that some progress can be made in this situation, or at least, for the Internet to remain civil, which we all know can be an all-too-rare occurrence. Whatever the case, if at all possible and desired by both parties, we can hope the TikToker manages to mend her relationship with her father.
