TikTok, Reddit and the Viral Exorcism: How Social Platforms Create New Folklore

Introduction: When Rituals Go Viral

In the 2020s, short-form video and community forums have become primary venues where stories of possession, exorcism and miraculous deliverance are produced, shared and debated. Platforms such as TikTok and Reddit do not just host content; their design—algorithms, engagement mechanics and community norms—actively shapes which narratives spread. This article examines how social platforms convert religious ritual and personal crisis into a new kind of digital folklore, the consequences that follow, and practical guidance for journalists, practitioners and viewers.

How Platforms Shape Stories: Mechanisms of Amplification

Social media platforms amplify exorcism narratives through a set of predictable mechanisms. Understanding these helps explain why certain clips feel authentic, terrifying, or irresistible to share.

Algorithmic and design drivers

• Engagement optimization: Recommendation systems prioritize content that elicits strong reactions—shock, fear, awe—so dramatic ritual footage is likely to spread faster.
• Format and affordances: Short video, duets/stitches, upvotes and comment threads allow rapid layering of commentary, reinterpretation and remix that reshape the original event into a circulating myth.
• Context collapse: Videos posted without background (medical info, timestamps, witness statements) invite speculation and narrative projection from viewers.

Community dynamics

• Reddit: Subreddits can act as watchdogs, crowdsourced investigators or accelerants—depending on rules and moderation—producing collective annotations that either debunk or reinforce claims.
• TikTok: Rapid sharing and participatory formats encourage reenactment, parody and the creation of recognizable motifs (soundtracks, tags, reaction tropes) that make content memetic.

From Clip to Canon: Folklore, Misinformation and Real-World Effects

When ritualized content circulates widely it can acquire the characteristics of folklore: recurring motifs, authoritative-sounding narratives, and community-sanctioned variations. This digital folklore has tangible impacts.

Common patterns

• Memeification: Repeated audio, captions and visual cues create shorthand references that carry meaning across different videos.
• Conflation of categories: Entertainment, spiritual practice and clinical conditions (e.g., psychosis, sleep paralysis) become blurred in public perception.

Consequences

• For subjects: People filmed during extreme states may be exposed to ridicule, harassment, or unwanted religious attention.
• For practitioners: Clergy and healers may see increased demand or greater scrutiny; rituals can be commodified or performed for views rather than pastoral care.
• For public understanding: Simplified narratives can stigmatize mental-health conditions or endorse unverified treatments.

Guidance and Conclusion: Ethical Sharing and Media Literacy

Social platforms are unlikely to stop producing dramatic content, but individuals and institutions can reduce harm and improve public understanding by adopting clearer practices.

Recommendations

• For viewers: Pause before sharing—seek context, timestamps and corroborating testimony. Treat dramatic clips as prompts for inquiry, not proof.
• For journalists: Verify sources, consult clinicians and religious experts, and avoid sensational framing that erases nuance.
• For platform designers and moderators: Invest in contextual labels, friction for rapid resharing of sensitive videos, and stronger reporting pathways for content involving minors or medical crises.
• For religious and mental-health practitioners: Clarify boundaries between pastoral care, performance and medical treatment; provide accessible, evidence-informed resources for audiences attracted by viral content.

Final note

TikTok, Reddit and similar spaces are rewriting how folklore forms in real time. That process can be culturally rich and instructive—but without critical attention it can also amplify harm. Responsible sharing, better verification and interdisciplinary dialogue are essential to ensure that modern digital folklore informs rather than misleads.