When a girl posted a TikTok video from her sick father's hospital bedside, many online users were not impressed. The footage captured a personal and emotional moment, but some have questioned why she shared the clip.
People take to TikTok to share all sorts of life content, from small moments and big announcements to everything in between. When one girl decided to upload a personal clip, she gained a massive response.
On her TikTok account, Nikki Neisler often shared snippets of her everyday life. In June, that included footage of her father in a hospital bed.
In a viral TikTok, a woman cries as she shows viewers her sickly father in his hospital bed | Photo: TikTok/nikki.neisler
QUESTIONING HER SINCERITY
In the video, she is crying while holding hands with her dad in the hospital bed. The mood of the clip is emotional and disheartening, but not everyone trusted Neisler's sincerity.
Users questioned the clip and commented on her actions. One person asked: "why did u make a TikTok?" While another added: "And the most important thing on her mind was making sure she looked good while crying at the same time."
In a viral TikTok, a woman holds her father's hand as he lies in a hospital | Photo: TikTok/nikki.neisler
THE NEW WAY TO GRIEVE
Some netizens suggested that uploading these types of "super sad TikTok videos" is a new trend. They expressed: "It’s the newest, most acceptable way to grieve in 2021."
In an older clip uploaded to Reddit, her dad, who was on life support, features again. In this video, she can be seen crying as she pans the camera over to him as he lies in the hospital bed.
In a viral TikTok, a woman cries as she shows viewers her sickly father in his hospital bed | Photo: TikTok/nikki.neisler
THE CONTROVERSIAL VIDEO
She added a caption to the video that summarised her feelings toward her father and his condition. The words on the video stated: "There’s only one thing I want ... limit your drinking."
In the comment area of the TikTok video, Neisler's told fans about her father's liver failure and other conditions that came as a result of his alcoholism. Despite the tragic nature of her content, many viewers were unhappy.
A woman who is visiting her father in hospital removes her mask in a viral video to tell viewers that she wants him to limit his drinking | Photo: TikTok/nikki.neisler
DON'T POST CONTENT FROM THE HOSPITAL
Commenters on Reddit suggested that she was using her father's suffering to gain followers. One Redditor advised people to avoid posting footage from hospital rooms altogether.
"Never, ever, ever do social media from a hospital room. You violate the privacy rights of the person being treated. Most hospitals have policies against taking video for this reason."
In a viral video, a woman with tears in her eyes pans the camera to show viewers her sickly father in the hospital | Photo: TikTok/nikki.neisler
SUPPORT FOR HER MESSAGE
In the midst of the backlash she received for posting such a private moment, some users supported her message. Netizens noted that her clips raised awareness about the effects alcoholism can have on families.
One user expressed: "It is a cautionary tale, and everyone is so quick to judge her. She already has over one million followers. It is likely she is trying to make people aware that poor life choices affect others."
In a viral video a woman bursts into tears as she shows viewers her father who was on life support in the hospital | Photo: TikTok/nikki.neisler
HELPING PEOPLE IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS
Sadly, Neisler recently shared the news that her father had passed away. In the comment section of one TikTok video, she stated: "update: my dad passed away today 7/6/21." Users offered her kind words of support.
A netizen said: "if this helps one person, his death wasn't meaningless." People also commented that they were going to share her videos with their own alcoholic parents.
Regardless of Neisler's true intentions with the clips, the silver lining is that the footage might help people in similar situations.
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