#RaptureTok Took Over TikTok – Original Video

In September 2025, a hashtag called RaptureTok exploded across social media platforms when a South African Christian preacher named Joshua Mhlakela predicted that the world would end on the 23rd or 24th of September.

This already sounds crazy, but what really caught my attention was not just the prediction, but also how viral format and platform algorithms influenced my media consumption.I watched a short clip on TikTok about the same pastor claiming the world will end in 14 days because he talked to Jesus Christ. Many people believed it, selling their cars, houses, and even quitting their jobs “just in case," while others mocked the prediction. Additionally, some bought survival gear for protection. The situation escalated from simple stupidity to widespread belief. How did the platform shape my experience?We are always taught that elders are more mature and have experienced life more, so they know better.

However, this really makes me think differently, as it is quite disappointing to see elderly men and women believe in such things and make impulsive decisions, especially when there are more pressing issues in the world that deserve attention and coverage. Almost all of the posts were not informative at all; they were just people shouting and crying about the consequences they face due to their decisions. This poses a serious risk of misinformation, as platforms like this are designed to promote content that pushes agendas, emotions, and ideas without proper fact-checking.

My takeaway?​

This just proves how social media can be dangerous and manipulative, as its main purpose is to promote content. Clearly, social media has the power to bring stories to life, but it also changes the way stories are told, like the game called Chinese whispers. And it's not just about the information; it also concerns the format, performance, and how information spreads.  “According to a national survey, 33% of girls aged 11 to 15 feel addicted to social media, and more than half of teens say it would be hard to give up social media. One study shows that children younger than 11 years old who use Instagram and Snapchat are more likely to have problematic digital behaviours like having online-only friends and visiting sites parents would disapprove of, as well as a greater chance of taking part in online harassment.

(sourcedfromhttps://health.clevelandclinic.org/dangers-of-social-media-for-youth) This issue really needs regulation, as social platforms must be monitored more closely since children are exposed to content such as misinformation, religious agendas, pornography, suicidal material and many more, causing behavioural issues like anxiety, depression, FOMO. 

Sources – 

1. https://www.forbes.com/sites/rdaniel-foster/2025/09/22/rapturetok-craze-explained-why-were-drawn-to-end-times/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSfKjB9xkPM  ​2.https://www.tiktok.com/@romans.ten.9through11/video/7552263673574640926?_t=ZS-90mOT1zEYbA&_r=1 3.https://www.tiktok.com/@lilrotini/video/7552991259766295822?embed_source=121374463%2C121468991%2C121439635%2C121749182%2C121433650%2C121404359%2C121497414%2C121477481%2C121351166%2C121811500%2C121896267%2C121860360%2C121487028%2C121679410%2C121331973%2C120811592%2C120810756%2C121885509%3Bnull%3Bembed_blank&refer=embed&referer_url=embedly.forbes.com%2Fwidgets%2Fmedia.html%3Fsrc%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.tiktok.com%252Fembed%252Fv2%252F7552991259766295822%26display_name%3Dtiktok%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.tiktok.com%252F%2540lilrotini%252Fvideo%252F7552991259766295822%26image%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fp16-common-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%252Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%252FoQnQg30QpSkOD7oYKFZIEEE7jD41ffAvRIByGS%257Etplv-tiktokx-origin.image%253Fdr%253D9636%2526x-expires%253D1758754800%2526x-signature%253DMQecgwRvXgTgEoHlBfJ7zxwbLg4%25253D%2526t%253D4d5b0474%2526ps%253D13740610%2526shp%253D81f88b70%2526shcp%253D43f4a2f9%2526idc%253Duseast8%26type%3Dtext%252Fhtml%26schema%3Dtiktok&referer_video_id=7552991259766295822 4.https://www.tiktok.com/referer_url=embedly.forbes.com%2Fwidgets%2Fmedia.html%3Fsrc%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.tiktok.com%252Fembed%252Fv2%252F7552993915939392823%26display_name%3Dtiktok%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.tiktok.com%252F%2540soogia1%252Fvideo%252F7552993915939392823%26image%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fp16-common-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%252Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%252FoAxGfGAReAQevANfAGGjaDJkgIOILRABzoAgup%257Etplv-tiktokx-origin.image%253Fdr%253D9636%2526x-expires%253D1758754800%2526x-signature%253D1fhJhX2KLUmkelFqv2H%25252BI325L4k%25253D%2526t%253D4d5b0474%2526ps%253D13740610%2526shp%253D81f88b70%2526shcp%253D43f4a2f9%2526idc%253Duseast8%26type%3Dtext%252Fhtml%26schema%3Dtiktok&refer=embed&embed_source=121374463%2C121468991%2C121439635%2C121749182%2C121433650%2C121404359%2C121497414%2C121477481%2C121351166%2C121811500%2C121896267%2C121860360%2C121487028%2C121679410%2C121331973%2C120811592%2C120810756%2C121885509%3Bnull%3Bembed_discover_button  5.https://www.tiktok.com/@facttokdaily01/video/7552880043517627662?_t=ZS-90mOQ5rqGXv&_r=1 https://www.tiktok.com/@jubileedawns/video/7557891876615982367?_r=1&_t=ZS-90mONJswcy2 https://health.clevelandclinic.org/dangers-of-social-media-for-youth 6.https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/how-girls-really-feel-about-social-media-researchreport_final_1.pdf 7.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0747563221003769