Item 3
Source:
This was collected from a video on TikTok. The video was posted by user @phaang on September 8, 2020.
Text:
Title: “The Red Room Curse”
Transcription:
“Today we are talking about the ‘Red Room Curse.’ The curse starts with a pop-up that appears on the victim’s computer screen when they’re alone in a room. It has a red background with black letters, asking, ‘Do you like the red room?’ It’s impossible to close out of the pop-up, because it’s frozen on the screen. You won’t be able to escape the room that you’re in when the pop-up appears, and your doors and windows will suddenly lock. Your body will be discovered days later. Dead. In your room. Surrounded by your walls painted red with your blood. The ‘Red Room Curse’ became popular in the dark corners of the internet, after a twelve-year-old girl…was murdered by her classmate. The murderer, who has remained unnamed due to them being eleven at the time of the murder, was found to have a link to a red room bookmarked on her computer.”
Texture:
Similar to the previous two items in this collection, the video consists of someone narrating a legend to the audience. However, this video does not display the text of said narrative on the screen, but rather has a backdrop consisting of what the “Red Room” pop-up would theoretically look like. Also like the previous items, this user plays scary instrumental music as she tells the legend. This item is all audio, with no text. Prior to the telling of the “Red Room Curse,” the user addresses the audience. After the telling, she gives some background information on where the legend came from, which was on a different, unnamed internet platform.
Purpose:
The legend appearing in this context makes the legend’s message and goal more effective. Though it is about a computer screen and most people watch TikTok on their phones, appearing in this TikTok format still serves many purposes. The legend warns of the dangers of being alone in a room with your technology, which, let’s face it, is how many of us consume digital content. The TikTok format pairs with another context here, the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people’s usage of TikTok and other social media platforms increased when lockdown procedures were put into place due to the pandemic. This video was uploaded several months into the pandemic, and several months before vaccines were ready or stay-at-home mandates lifted. Posting a video of this nature, during this time, onto a platform that many young people use, helps to serve as a warning against using too much technology and spending too much time alone. The content also pairs with these contexts, as much of the legend centers around not being in control, the victim can’t close the pop-up, can’t leave their room. It is eerily parallel to the lack of control that we are all faced with during the pandemic. Putting this legend on an app that grew in popularity mostly during a pandemic was no random decision and helps to spread this message and highlight concerns in a time of uncertainty.
Relevance to Folklore and Folklore Studies:
This item in particular is relevant to folklorists as it helps to highlight some of the concerns of people in a certain age group during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic affects young people in a very distinct way. Here we have a legend that originated outside of TikTok, pre-pandemic, that warns young people not to be alone too often and not to consume too much technology, and yet, the pandemic leaves room to do very little else besides those two things. We can examine how these TikTok users cope with the pandemic by looking at videos such as the one presented here, and we can also examine what fears are being emphasized in some of the legends that people present and watch on the app.