Social media has become a source of income for many content creators who are using different platforms for purposes of education, marketing, advocacy and entertainment.
A common feature that runs through most platforms — Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, among others — is the creation of video content, either long or short, often referred to as reels, which pass in seconds or minutes but capture the essence of the message.
ICE Digital Media defines “Reels as short-form, vertical videos — usually lasting between 15 to 90 seconds — designed to capture attention quickly and deliver content in a fun, engaging, and often fast-paced format.”
ICE highlighted that these social media platforms, including Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels, YouTube Shorts, TikTok and Pinterest Idea Pins, prioritise these videos through the function of the algorithms.
Between February and June 2025, GhanaFact has monitored a viral reel trend on TikTok known as the Teleportation vibes. In this report, we dissect different angles of this trend – its genesis, role of TikTok, the child rights implications and existing legislation.
What is Teleportation Vibes about?
Teleportation vibes refer to videos created using built-in TikTok editing features, including transitions, speed adjustments, and combining different video clips and still images to produce a viral video with the hashtag #Teleportationvibes.
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The hashtag #Teleportationvibes is often attached to videos with the inscription ‘Deran m vin bay.’ These videos have features described above and are mostly termed as part of a ‘challenge’ (TikTok challenge).
The phrase ‘Deran m vin bay’ is usually accompanied by captions like: “Explore the fascinating world of Deran M Vin Bay. Discover trending content and engaging videos related to Haitian culture! Deran M Vin Bay videos explore Haitian culture, trending Haitian TikTok content,” with the caveat that the information is AI-generated.
An Artificial Intelligence definition of the #teleportationvibes challenge on TikTok reads: “A new trend has exploded on TikTok in Ghana, dubbed the ‘Teleportation Vibe’! This viral sensation involves creators filming themselves in one location, often in casual wear and then transitioning to a different, more formal or stylized outfit, creating an illusion of teleportation.”
The genesis and data collected
Although this article focuses on Ghana, GhanaFact observed that the trend extends beyond Ghana’s TikTok sphere. Users from Haiti to South Africa, the USA and elsewhere, also sampled images or videos and embedded a nude of either themselves or others.
GhanaFact monitored this trend between February 2025 to June 2025. Over the period, we collected 100 links from TikTok showing both young adults and even persons who appeared to be underage users (Senior High and Junior High school students) who participated in the challenge.
We discovered later that some of the links collected were unavailable. This means that the content had been deleted. Due to ethical considerations given the age and privacy of persons involved, GhanaFact did not archive any of the links. In effect, we do not have access to the videos that have been deleted.
These users, in some of the videos, show explicit pornographic videos, while others show their private parts (the penis and vagina). We also noted that these teleportation clips had gone beyond TikTok and was being posted or discussed on other social media platforms, Facebook and YouTube.
Concerns raised online
Amid the viral trend, some Ghanaians raised concerns about the challenge, highlighting the spread of nude content, while others sought to understand the meaning and purpose of the challenge.
Among the people who asked to know about the challenge is the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene. In a Facebook post on May 6, 2025, he asked: “What is Teleportation vibe? What’s happening on the streets?”
Before the minister’s question, an Angel FM radio presenter known as Rossy Rossy, on April 15, 2025, bemoaned the rate at which young people were participating in a challenge that exposes their nudes on the internet, highlighting the lasting negative impact the actions may have on the future of the participants.
“Listeners, have you heard about the new trend on social media? It is called the teleportation vibes. When I discover things such as this, I want to bring them up for discussion because what our children are participating in on social media is disgusting (Akan proverb).
“The teleportation vibes is about the young girls and boys, especially the girls who pile up pictures and then feature porn in between. Some featured content is not porn, but nudity, their nakedness…” she said.
“What is happening is disturbing because it is about young people in SHS, JHS, and University girls. What they forget to note is that some smart men can slow down the video to watch your nakedness. Even some men are joining the trend, exhibiting their private parts. I understand that some of the nude images do not belong to the sharer, and they sometimes source the nude content from porn sites. Ghana, wake up,” she added.
A popular entertainment journalist, Zion Felix, also dedicated an editorial section on his YouTube page to call the attention of those engaged in the challenge to desist from doing so because of the immediate and future challenges that it posed.
What is TikTok’s policy on nudity and body exposure?
Whoever signs up for any social media platform agrees to abide by the rules, regulations, and community guidelines and accepts the risks that come with violating these rules, which include suspension and, in some cases, account deactivation.
Even though these platforms define what content is accepted, the question remains when and how these regulations are enforced.
According to Data Reportal, TikTok had at least 1.59 billion users globally as of January 2025.
The platform describes itself as a source of entertainment and enrichment where individuals can discover, create, and connect with others across the world, and has a policy on Nudity and Body Exposure, which says;
“We want to provide young people with an experience that is developmentally suitable. We do not allow semi-nudity or significant body exposure of young people. Content is ineligible for the FYF (For your feed) if it shows body exposure of a young person that may present a risk of uninvited sexualization.”
The platform highlights in its policy that it does not amplify content that is classified as nudity.
“We also do not want to amplify content that may not be suitable for a wide audience. Content is restricted (18 years and older) and is ineligible for the FYF if it shows semi-nudity of an adult. We allow regional exceptions for body exposure in limited situations, such as cultural practices.”
According to TikTok, it does not allow nudity, which includes bare genitalia, buttocks, breasts of women and girls, and sheer clothing, even though there is an understanding of differences in society.
“We celebrate all shapes and sizes and want you to feel comfortable in how you present yourself and your body. We understand societies’ approach to body exposure and clothing differently, so we seek to reflect prevailing cultural practices. We do not allow nudity. This includes bare genitalia, buttocks, breasts of women and girls, and sheer clothing.”
So what does TikTok say about the challenge #TeleportationVibes, where children under 18 show nudity, even sexual activities, on the platform?
Is this the point where key stakeholders, such as the Ministry of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations of Ghana, and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, must step in to regulate the kind of content children are exposed to online?
What do child rights advocates say about this trend?
Executive Director of Child Online Africa, Awo Aidam Amenyah, was of the view that the trend is a case of risky entertainment and gender commodification.
“I don’t know if I should see that as more like creativity gone wrong due to lack of knowledge, because it’s been innovative to try to create, piece videos, images and together. However, the problem I see with it is that the people creating the content do not know that when they push it, (and) lace it with the nudity that is coming with it has implications for them…
“Because at the end of the day, that’s your footprint you are creating, so you have a bad footprint to start with, and technology being a double-edged sword is cutting you in the creative way and damaging you in the other way.”
She advocates that the talents should be channelled into a more productive venture. “It’s a risky way of entertaining oneself. I feel there is a way to go about that same thing without having to push nudity.
“It makes a lot of sense to push our cultural clothing in that form rather than lacing yourself with your private parts in revealing clothes. We are normalising the risk and blurring the lines between creativity and commodification. Because the girls who are doing that are commodifying their bodies for money.”
Furthermore, she highlights the future implications for children engaged in this kind of challenge and the exposure to predators in the internet space.
“If you analyse the videos well enough, you could tell that in future, it would have a psychological toll on them, because someone like me as an employer wouldn’t engage a girl whose video I saw online, and then again, such girls, if they don’t get partners or get to where they wish to be in future, they will say someone is stigmatising them, but it’s not. They stigmatise themselves by creating that content.
“Then again, they are exposing themselves to predators. Predators are all over the space, so clearly they have seen your face on a product or seen your face in a video projecting something, and then they take advantage of you,” she stressed.
Talking about amplification of the content by other users, Awo Aidam said, “It is a result of TikTok monetising the content. So they want to get quick money. They are not ready to go, probably to learn a skill to earn the money.”
In terms of community policies and guidelines by tech companies, she was sceptical about their commitment and implementation. “If it’s not allowed, why is it being pushed? Is it because of the language barrier?
“Personally, I take all their community guidelines with a pinch of salt because they say one thing and do another. Therefore, we will now need to implement safeguard measures as a country to ensure that we’re doing things the right way.”
In conclusion, the Child Rights Online lead said, “When it comes to recommendations, I reiterate what I have said in the past, that it is about time when ministers or policy makers are going to engage tech companies, it is important that they engage the community members before speaking to the tech companies. Because we, the community members, have input to make whatever dialogue they will be engaging in.”
Existing national legislation on child rights
Section of Article 28 of the 1992 Constitution focuses on the rights of children in Ghana. Sections (c) and (d) speak to general protections.
(c) Parents undertake their natural right, and obligation of care, maintenance and upbringing of their children in co-operation with such institutions as Parliament may, by law, prescribe in such a manner that in all cases the interest of the children is paramount.
(d) Children and young persons receive special protection against exposure to physical and moral hazards.
It is instructive that Ghana’s Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560) was promulgated before the social media boom being experienced today, hence it has NO protection clauses with respect to digital rights and other online protections for children.
GhanaFact noted, however, that Acts 62, 63, 64 and 65 of the CyberSecurity Act 2020 makes provisions against persons exposing children on the internet. This Act, however, failed to make provision for the social media companies relative to the content of children on their platforms.
Amendments to the CyberSecurity Act in the Cyberbullying and online harassment amendments make provision for more protection clauses for children. Once passed in its current form, it will deepen the protections even though the role of digital service providers (platforms) remains almost non-existent.
By Gifty Tracy Aminu
