Social media is always changing and TikTok is no exception to this behavior. Here, various trends, challenges, or popular videos capture the attention of millions of users around the world. One such trend that took an unexpected turn involved TikTok user @usergosd7n01yj, whose video “New nails and my kitty” gained notoriety in June 2024. This paper explores the origin, spread, and impact of this video and the subsequent ban of the user’s account. In addition, we will look at content with such wide-reaching impact on social media and how moderation plays a role in continuing community standards.
Origin of the “New Nails and My Kitty” video
Original Post
By June 12, 2024, TikTok user @usergosd7n01yj had created a video titled “New nails and my pussy.” At face value, its content was harmless: the user was showing off her newly done nails and her pet cat. But as she moved her hand, she let viewers see her vagina – an act that was accidental at first glance to many. The video was based on Tinashe’s song “Nasty,” where the tone is, “I’ve been a bad girl,” which only heightens the irony (censored screenshots are shown below).
Immediate reactions
The TikTok moderation team removed the video soon after it surfaced, but by that time, other users of the platform had started reposting it. One such reposting by user @justauserman1 on June 12, 2024, received over 2.7 million views and 26,200 likes within a day. The rate at which it spread shows its immediate impact and attraction and created curiosity among the audience.
Prevalence and virulence
Parodies and references
Then, as it continued its upward climb, the video received several parodies and references on TikTok. One such TikToker, @shmellzy, uploaded a parody of the related video on June 12, 2024 and garnered over 579,200 views in a day. With the caption, “This set and my kitty ????????????”, and hashtags such as #fyp #viral, the content became a TikTok inside joke in no time.
Other viewers began posting even more racist content from the account @usergosd7n01yj. In one video, she was showing her nude reflection in a bathtub faucet while turning the camera around. The video was reuploaded by TikToker @jameidaho23 and received over 143,500 views within a day.
More attention and interaction
The type of content also prompted wider discussion about the restrictions on graphic content provided by social media. For example, TikToker @1700fiennnn created a video – which took popular sound clips and text overlay: “Imagine your girls’ posts looking like usergosd7n01jy posts” – alongside a reference to the range of NSFW posts by @usergosd7n01jy – which received over 60,000 views in a day, showing how the original acted as a catalyst for many creative expressions and comments.
TikTok’s response and account ban
Restraint efforts
Given the nature of the video and how fast it was spreading, the TikTok team worked very quickly to remove the repost and eventually, they banned the account of @usergosd7n01yj. The account was removed on or before June 12, 2024, and in all likelihood, it was a direct response to the viral video and other NSFW content that was exposed on the user’s profile due to the said viral video.
Community Guidelines and Enforcement
As with many social media platforms, TikTok has strict community guidelines prohibiting explicit content. The platform’s response to this case reminds us of the need for such guidelines to help create a safe and respectful environment for all. Still, the rate at which the video gained so many views before being removed challenges the effectiveness and timeliness of the platform’s content moderation, especially on a social media platform with a large number of users.
Effects and implications
Social media sensation and shock value
The “New Nails and My Kitty” video is a dramatic example of how quickly content can reach viral status on the social web, especially if it includes a component of shock value. The accidental explicit content, parody, and sensationalism hit the news and captivated millions. Even though superficially this is just a TikTok phenomenon, the trend is much broader. The need for attention and to go viral is pushing various envelope edges on the user side across multiple social media platforms.
Ethical and psychological considerations
The incident also points to ethical and psychological implications. It appears that the user’s intention to show off her nails and pet cat is in stark contrast with the unintended explicit exposure. Such a contradiction raises questions about consent, privacy, and social media performance pressure. Also, such a rapid dissemination and consumption of this type of content affects the content creator and the audience psychologically – from embarrassment and shame to desensitization and normalization of explicit content.
The role of platform moderation
The “New Nails and My Kitty” video incident demonstrated that moderation is one of the most important parameters on the platform when considering community standards. Removing the video and terminating the account were necessary measures, but the incident flagged potential gaps in the constantly changing user-generated online content. The TikTok platform must invent strategies of moderation to meet the dynamic and rapid pace of such content generated daily.
Legal and Regulatory Insights
Of course, the issue is very complicated from the legal and regulatory side. Even though general guidelines are placed at the discretion of the networking site, they are also bound by national-international laws regarding explicit content, especially if it involves minors. The “New Nails and My Kitty” video may seem like an unintentional mistake to many, but still, regulatory bodies may not see it that way considering the protection of users from explicit content.
The “New Nails and My Kitty” TikTok video by user @usergosd7n01yj is a rich case study of social media virality, content moderation, and community standards. Accidental discovery of the video caused it to spread like wildfire on TikTok, highlighting how difficult it can be for a platform to manage user-generated content. Therefore, the lessons this incident teaches us point to the need for strong moderation, ethical considerations, and adaptation — so that social media remains a safe and respectful environment for everyone involved as it continues to evolve.
NOTE: This topic is considered fictional and sensitive; thus, any ongoing coverage of this must respect the privacy and dignity of affected individuals at all costs.
