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Discovering somebody who hasn’t heard of TikTok in 2022 can be fairly the achievement. As one of the standard social media platforms of the second, it’s not solely being utilized by our tweens, teenagers and even grownups to attach but in addition as a vital solution to inform essential tales amidst a backdrop of pure disasters and even struggle.
As dad and mom, we all know we have to sustain with the newest social media platforms however let’s be actual – we don’t at all times have sufficient time. So, I’m going to do the exhausting give you the results you want. Right here’s my overview of TikTok – what it’s, the dangers, and most significantly, how one can assist your youngsters (or your self) keep protected whereas utilizing it. You’re welcome!!
What Truly Is Tik Tok?
Tik Tok is a social media platform that may be downloaded on any smartphone by way of an app. When you’ve signed as much as the app and grow to be a consumer, you may create after which share brief movies of 15 seconds in size on any subject.
The app began life as Musical.ly, an excellent standard video streaming app that additionally allowed customers to make humorous 15-second movies, lots of which focussed on lip-syncing. By mid-2017, the app had over 200 million registered customers. In 2018, the app was taken over by Chinese language firm ByteDance and all of its customers (and their content material) have been moved to TikTok.
How Widespread is Tik Tok?
Based on Hootsuite, TikTok is the sixth most used social media platform on this planet. As of late September 2021, TikTok had over a billion month-to-month customers and as of August final yr, it overtook Fb to grow to be the world’s most downloaded app. Fb does, nevertheless, have extra month-to-month customers, reporting a large 2.74 billion customers as of August 2021.
Who Is Utilizing It?
It seems TikTok is utilized by females (57%) greater than males (43%) nevertheless its consumer base may be very numerous and cuts throughout all age classes – sure, even us dad and mom! However manufacturers hoping to succeed in youthful feminine audiences are surely utilizing TikTok to showcase their wares. What’s attention-grabbing is that though all of us suppose that TikTok dominates the Gen Z market, analysis exhibits that it doesn’t rank because the best choice for youthful customers – the truth is solely 4.3% of customers title it as their favourite platform. Customers between 16 and 24 nominate Instagram as their best choice!
How Outdated Do You Want To Be To Use TikTok?
In contrast to different social media platforms, there isn’t a minimal age requirement when utilizing TikTok. The corporate says that it adjusts a consumer’s privateness settings primarily based on the birthday entered when organising the account. If a consumer is beneath the age of 13, they may mechanically be directed into the TikTok for Youthful Customers program which has extra privateness and security protections. In fact, anybody can lie about their age, however TikTok has stated publicly that it has moderators skilled to foretell when a consumer is suspected of being underage.
What Are The Dangers of Tiktok?
As you’ll know, there are dangers related to utilizing all social media platforms and TikTok isn’t any exception. Nonetheless, in my view the vast majority of these might be managed with a mix of essential considering, parental controls, and preparation – extra about these later.
However let’s go worst-case situation for one second. Listed here are the potential dangers that your little one might encounter:
Contact from on-line predators
Inappropriate content material: sexualized, violent, racist
Doubtlessly damaging conversations round psychological well being
Anxiousness from probably poor response to their movies
How To Handle The Dangers On Tiktok?
Sadly, it isn’t potential to maintain our tweens and teenagers in a bubble – I do know, so disappointing! So, the very best and solely choice is to arrange them for challenges on-line and arm them with instruments to navigate the difficult stuff. Right here’s my recommendation on methods to finest assist them handle TikTok:
1. Obtain The App & Begin a Dialog
Data is energy, my mates. So, obtain the app and have a play so that you higher perceive it. Then, why not ask your skilled in-house ‘TikTokers’ to point out you the way it works. Use this as a possibility to ask them what they do after they see one thing that issues them, or how they’d handle approaches from folks they don’t know. Why not weave in reminders in regards to the significance of on-line privateness and the permanence of their digital footprint? Commit to creating these conversations common.
2. Foster A Crucial Pondering Mindset
Serving to your youngsters grow to be essential thinkers is, doubtless, probably the greatest methods of serving to them put together for all times’s challenges – each on-line and offline. With the ability to rigorously query concepts and assumptions moderately than accepting them at face worth is your youngsters’ golden ticket! So, if they’re approached by pleasant (however ill-intentioned) strangers on-line or despatched a hyperlink to an excellent compelling provide on-line, they may have the ‘smarts’ to understand that every one will not be because it appears and to hit delete!
3. Use TikTok’s Parental Controls Or Assist Them Set Up Privateness & Security Settings
If the horse has already bolted and your tween or teen has been utilizing TikTok for some time, then introducing boundaries is perhaps difficult however don’t hand over! TikTok has a Household Pairing characteristic which permits dad and mom to hyperlink their TikTok account to their teen’s account to allow them to management the settings remotely. This is perhaps an excellent choice in case your little one is youthful or simply beginning out on TikTok. This provides dad and mom the facility to activate Restricted Mode, display screen closing dates, and likewise flip off the direct message choice.
Leverage Tiktok’s Privateness Controls
In case your little one has been utilizing TikTok for a while and also you wish to pull issues again, then why not work with them to arrange their privateness and security options. I discover youngsters at all times reply finest whenever you clarify why you might be doing one thing so guarantee them you might be simply wanting to maintain them protected. TikTok has a protracted checklist of options you may allow that may make your offspring’s expertise that a lot safer. From turning off downloads, filtering feedback to introducing display screen closing dates, there’s a nice vary of how of constructing the TikTok expertise a lot much less dangerous. Take a look at the total checklist from TikTok right here.
So, subsequent time you hear your youngsters reference TikTok, don’t instantly really feel a pang of guilt that you just don’t actually know what they’re speaking about. You’ve obtained this! Obtain the app, have a look round, learn this publish just a few extra instances, and also you’ll be effective! And bear in mind, our youngsters don’t anticipate us to be consultants immediately, and even in any respect. They only have to know that we’re eager about all elements of their life and respect simply how essential their digital life is to them.
You’ve obtained this!!
Take care all
Alex xx
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