Have you heard the bad news about TikTok? No, not that the doom-scrolling HQ is facing more legal battles in the United States. Drew Afualo, who turned trolling misogynists on TikTok into a number-one podcast and best-selling book, has decided her job online is doing her more harm than good. In an emotional video posted on December 10, 2024, Drew shared that she is “taking a break from TikTok specifically,” which is a “new” decision she’s been thinking about for the last few months. The feminist advocate is not doing anything “dramatic” like “disappearing forever” or deleting her account. Instead, she’s taking her foot off the gas from the “sometimes very violent” work it’s taken to build her platform (referring to the vicious hate she’s received for speaking out against the patriarchy). But the reason Drew is taking time off the internet isn’t about the constant “vitriol” from the haters who don’t support her shouting from the rooftops for marginalized groups. No, the reason Drew is taking time off to rebuild her mental health is a lot more complicated, but don’t worry I’ve broken it down bar for bar. Here’s the reason why TikTok star Drew Afualo is taking a break from TikTok.

Drew Afualo’s TikTok About Taking A Break From The App

Why is Drew Afualo quitting TikTok?

drew afulao

The short version is that Drew puts too much pressure on herself to be perfect because she feels she has to remain “good enough” to serve the groups she advocates for. Drew has never gotten her validation from men (three snaps for Drew), but she has always thrived off of feeling good because of external accomplishments praised by others. Her job as a creator tapped into her “purpose in life to protect,” which she is “forever grateful to the internet for.” But now the “beautiful, amazing” aspects of her job are being outweighed by her constant need to “fit into everybody’s idea of perfection” which changes between “the perfect” content creator, influencer, ally, activist, or feminist, depending on the audience. Drew explained that she feels as if she’s not truly worthy of “the groups [she’s] driven to protect,” which has made it “truly unbearable to live on this app.” Whew.

Why did Drew say she was “violently ill” and “physically unwell”?

drew afualo

Drew goes on to express that because of how deeply she cares, constantly feeling like she’s not “enough” has dropped her mental health so severely that it’s having an impact on her physical health, too. Especially when she believes that there are “people on this app and many others that have large sustained platforms that don’t deserve them” because they are “bad people who don’t care about others” and “deserve to be overanalyzed to the point that they are de-platformed.” She revealed she was almost hospitalized last year because of this crippling mindset so “time away from this app” is needed to remind herself that she’s “a good person.” Drew tearfully ended the video by promising that she will be back.

Will Drew Afualo ever return to TikTok?

drew tiktok

TBH, no job should push you to the brink of your mental health limit, especially more than once. And for influencers, TikTok is a job first and foremost. Drew is a well-spoken, hilarious, smart bad bitch (with a truly enviable head of hair but that’s neither here nor there). Her talents are obvi worthy of being heard in the world, and I think the way she inspires and entertains people should never go away. But if the magnifying glass TikTok puts on its top creators to act like superior beings instead of ~just a girl~ is causing her to be physically ill, walking away forever, or at least to a drastic degree doesn’t have to change her overall impact (or her coins, considering how she’s already diversified her platform offline). Do you, boo!