Gaurav Rathore
His write-ups blend creativity, personal experience, and tailored technical advice, meeting reader needs effectively.
Needless to say, TikTok is the most viral social media platform among the younger generations, namely Gen Z and Gen Alpha. However, unsurprisingly, this app has also received severe backlash from parents for risking their kids’ safety.
According to NDTV, TikTok has been facing a potential ban in the U.S. due to controversial reasons and has already faced a blanket ban in countries like Russia, India, China, and many others.
So, if your child is also an active participant in this TikTok culture, you must read this blog to find out the secret behind the ongoing controversies and discover whether it’s truly safe for your kids. So, let’s get going!
Quick Answer:
TikTok is a social media platform where users create and discover short-form videos using the vast library of music, filters, and special effects. However, this platform poses various concerns, like inappropriate content, cyberbullying risks, and data privacy concerns.
Thus, kids under 13 must exercise caution and ensure parental guidance while using the app.
TikTok is a social media platform that allows users to create, share, and discover short-form videos.
Young people mostly use this app to express themselves by singing, dancing, lip-syncing, or sharing personal moments with people across the community. Users can add filters or features to turn mundane images or videos into engaging content.
TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, was released in September 2016. Since then, it has garnered over 1 billion monthly active users and has become the 4th largest social media platform in the world.
For a TikTok account setup, you can sign up using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or a valid email account.
After you are done with the account setup, you can start creating customized videos using filters, background music, and stickers, and then later share them with the TikTok community.
Once shared, people on the internet can like and comment on your video and share or download it for later use.
You can also discover entertaining content on the app using the three feeds offered by the algorithm: Friends, Following, and For You. Apart from that, you can also access other unique features such as Duet, Stitch, Voiceover, and Live Streaming.
To get started with TikTok, users must be at least 13 years old. Despite that, the age rating on the Apple Store is listed as 12+, while the Google Play Store states ‘Parental Guidance Required’ for kids.
The social media platform also updated its privacy settings in 2021, which stated that all the accounts for kids under 16 will become private by default, and if strangers want to visit your child’s profile, they must get approved first.
TikTok also claimed that it would take down the standard accounts if the moderators suspected the account holder was under 13.
However, if your kids are set on using the app, they can easily lie and get through this update.
No, TikTok is not safe for kids! Several reasons make this app problematic, ranging from exposing kids to inappropriate content to posing cyberbullying and data privacy issues.
In 2023, Europe demanded that TikTok dissolve the unfair practices that failed to protect children’s privacy on the app. This was the first time in history that TikTok faced consequences for causing problems for unsuspecting children.
Even though the platform claims that it doesn’t allow any sexually explicit content, the app has a startling amount of sexual content, and it’s way too easy for children to access – The Conversations.
Apart from that, the public profile, a shared space, and direct messaging between mutuals are some of the aspects that may concern worrywart parents.
Hence, I recommend that kids below 13 abstain from using the app.
Yes, TikTok offers several privacy features and safety settings that determine who can comment or approach your kids on the app. These settings include:
This social media platform poses various safety concerns for children, and I’ve listed the most common ones. So, let’s take a look!
Over the past few years, many children have fallen victim to child predators on TikTok that groom kids as young as 8. One such example is the California man who pleaded guilty to the production of child pornography on TikTok.
The app’s For You feed solely works based on algorithms and user preferences, increasing the chances of your kid encountering explicit videos. There is also a messaging feature that predators use to send age-inappropriate content.
Research has shown that kids on TikTok have a 64% chance of experiencing cyberbullying, including repeated harmful comments, online harassment, and threatening messages.
Security concerns make up a big part of why parents despise this app. This app collects users’ sensitive data, regardless of whether they agree to share their details.
There have been many dangerous trends going viral on the app, like the Choking Game, Cinnamon Challenge, and Kiki Challenge, that led to many deaths.
TikTok can have various side effects on your child’s mental health, like causing body image issues, deterring sleep quality, and causing anxiety or depression.
If you want to keep your kid away from the dangers of the app, I recommend you follow the tips listed below.
Sit down with your kid and have an honest conversation about online safety and the possible dangers of using TikTok. Explain everything in detail so they get a heads-up on what awaits them on the platform.
Establish the rules for appropriate online behavior on the app and teach them what is okay to post and what isn’t.
Check on your kid’s online activity to ensure your child is following the established rules and is not indulging in risky behaviors.
Set up the parental controls on TikTok using the native features. Apart from that, you can install some third-party parental control apps on your teen’s smartphone to add an extra layer of security.
Similar to any other social media platform, TikTok has its share of pros and cons. However, as a parent, what you must do is experience the app firsthand so you know what your child is dealing with.
Lastly, make sure to keep a healthy relationship so your kids feel comfortable enough to share their problems with you!
No, you shouldn’t let your 12-year-old child use TikTok, as it is a dangerous place for kids and teenagers.
Yes, you can make TikTok safe for your child using the built-in parental controls on the app or installing some third-party parental control app on your child’s device.
Although TikTok claims to restrict content unsuitable for all ages, explicit content or profane words are still highly prevalent on the app.
According to the kids on the internet, TikTok is a fun app where they can freely express their creativity with their friends and find relatable content.
