Auschwitz Museum Calls Holocaust TikTok Trend An ‘Educational Challenge’

Following the “victims” TikTok trend, which resulted in a slew of influencers acting like deceased Holocaust victims, the Auschwitz‑Birkenau Memorial and State Museum has released a statement suggesting younger generations need to be taught the importance of respecting history.

While there were some videos posted in connection to the trend with the intention of educating others, many of the clips, which have been described as “trauma porn,” did little to show respect for the victims. The videos in question show the web users portraying victims of the Holocaust detailing their own deaths.

On Wednesday, the Auschwitz Museum tweeted out a lengthy statement criticizing the trend. “The ‘victims’ trend on TikTok can be hurtful & offensive. Some videos are dangerously close or already beyond the border of trivialization of history,” the caption read.

The memorial museum has advised the public “not to shame & attack young people whose motivation seem very diverse,” calling it “an educational challenge.”

During World War II, approximately six million Jewish people died in Nazi concentration camps. The statement from the museum encouraged teachers to help students understand the importance of tragic events in history before using social media to post distasteful content.

“Educators should work with young people to present the facts and stories but also teach and discuss how to commemorate in a meaningful and respectful way,” the statement continued.

In conclusion, the museum said it does not think the influencers involved should be punished for posting about something they may have known little or nothing about. “We have to be very careful in this discussion because the language used — also very often in social media — seems to carry lots of emotions, sometimes very strong,” the statement read.

Looking ahead, the memorial museum said it hopes algorithms promoting anti-Semitism and “Holocaust denial” content will be reexamined on TikTok and other social media platforms.