Is TikTok a safe social media platform for your teenager?

As a parent in this day and age one of the key concerns is ensuring that if your teenager has social media accounts, they are safe accounts to have. TikTok has had a lot of controversy around it as to whether it is appropriate and safe for teens to use. 

Alongside the serious security flaws the app had with data protection back in August there are also many other things to be aware of before making your choice about if your child should use TikTok or not. 

The ‘For you’ page is the main page of the app where you can watch videos that other people create. This is something to keep an eye on as without the correct privacy settings some videos can filter in that could be upsetting for a younger viewer. At the moment there are a lot of mental health and highly sensitive videos popping up that children of a young age may find alarming. As well as inappropriate videos relating to drugs, sex and many other things that they should not be exposed to. 

There is also the risk of strangers contacting your teenager through private message if the settings are not set to friends only. And like all social media apps there is the risk of your child being exposed to bullying or negative commentary. 

But it’s not all bad! Since these issues have been brought to light the company has put in extra measures to make sure your teenager is safe. They now have an advanced level of privacy settings meaning strangers cannot message or even see your teenagers profile without being accepted as a friend.

They have also put in a ‘Family Safety Mode’ where parents can link to their teenagers’ accounts and control their digital wellbeing settings as well as their screen time and restrict certain content from appearing on the For you page. They can also stop private messages from any account they are concerned about. 

So although there are a lot of risks to your teenager having the app there are also a lot of safety measures that can be taken to ensure they are safe using it. Just like most other social media platforms out there, there are risks and ways to minimize them.

For any advice about TikTok and how to set up these privacy settings to make sure your teenager is safe, give us a call at  0808 123 2820. WiseGuys are here to help you!