Should kids and teens be on TikTok?
Should parents enable parental guidelines for their kids on TikTok?
If my kids are on TikTok, can creepy pedophiles and perverts find them?
These are all great questions that we will dive into below as we discuss ways that parents help ensure their kids are safe on TikTok.
1. TikTok users must be 13 or older.
If your kids are under 13, they shouldn’t be on TikTok. Easy peasy.
2. But Rachel, what if my kids are over age 13? Is TikTok safe? Should I be concerned with their safety or the content they are viewing?
I hear ya. I’m a mom of three, a millennial, and a social media manager – it’s my passion,
my career and also something I like to do in my free time! Because of this, I’ve probably
spent more time on social media than most parents have in their lifetime.
And because I’ve seen so much on social media, the truth of the matter is…
I would NOT let my kids go on TikTok without certain rules in place:
Digital Well-Being Settings must be set up. Here, you can limit the amount of time
they spend on TikTok as well as limit (for the most part) the type of content they
see. Please keep in mind even with these settings, there is still the possibility for
some inappropriate content to come through.
No comments allowed! This means that kids aren’t allowed to comment on
videos, nor are others able to comment on the content your child posts. All it
takes is one nasty or inappropriate comment from an internet troll to ruin the
entire vibe of the video your child worked so hard to create.
Ensure the TikTok profile is set to “private.”
3. Spend a good 1 to 2 hours personally browsing the content on TikTok.
Your kids are likely going to spend more than a few minutes browsing TikTok, so you should
too. Look up some of the popular content creators and ask yourself would be comfortable
with your kids watching this content, including the dark humor? Consider their level of
awareness and capacity to process information.
4. Consider engaging with TikTok alongside your kids.
Personally, I am not comfortable with my kids being on TikTok without me watching content
along with them, therefore having the ability to “pull-the-plug” if necessary. While this is still a few years out, having been very active on TikTok I know that they just don’t need to see most of the content that is there.
When my kids start going on social (TikTok or otherwise), there will be pretty tight reins and
strict guidelines enforced. While you know your child(ren) best, I strongly feel that
enforcing rules around social media usage with your kids until they are truly ready can
increase the likelihood they know the difference between a silly prank and something that
could end their future career before it even starts.
And before you start calling me Karen, just know that TikTok can be a fun and entertaining
platform…when used appropriately.
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