"Chip Girl" and the Mark of the Beast

A viral TikTok account gives a glimpse of a dark future

Most of you have probably heard of TikTok. Some of you may have used it. Many of you likely have younger family members who love it. Most of you, at least, have some idea of what it is.

The app was launched in 2016 in China, where it is known as Douyin, which means “shaking sound.” It went international a year later as TikTok, a play on the minute-by-minute action of a countdown clock.

Much of the video content on TikTok is vain and silly but can be quite entertaining. It can also be addictive, especially for young people. But I wanted to point you to one recent video, which has taken the platform by storm and gone wildly viral.