How to Keep Children Safe from Tiktok

TikTok is a video-sharing platform where users can watch, create, and share self-made videos shot on their cell phones. It has gained immense popularity in the last five years across the globe. If you're the parent of a teenager then you must have heard of this app at least once from your kid. Although many parents are understandably hesitant to embrace the app as enthusiastically as their Gen Z children, it can be a source of creativity and fun for users.

However, keeping up with technology and social media can be challenging as it continues to evolve. When it comes to their teens' involvement with TikTok, parents are concerned about online safety and data privacy. That is when they need TikTok monitoring tools. It's important to consider what your child consumes and what information is shared about them online, given the app's rising popularity. You can protect your child online by TikTok spying and taking essential steps when it comes to your child’s safety.

Part 1. How to Keep Your Kids Safe from TikTok 

1. Use Parental Control App-SpyX

You can monitor every call and text message with SpyX. It is the best TikTok monitoring app that helps you to see all the activities of your kids. SpyX can monitor their social media accounts, call logs, deleted messages, pictures, and much more. You can also see what they’ve searched for in the browsing history.

You only need to take three simple steps to spy on TikTok. First, you visit their website and create your free account. Then pick your plan according to the device. Once done, you can start monitoring the app. The app has been in the market for more than 10 years and is available in 180 countries. There’s no app icon in the background so your kid will never know you’re spying using an app. Moreover, this app uses bank-grade encryption to transmit the information which means only you can see the information.

This TikTok spying app works for both Android and iOS devices. For android, you need physical access to the device and the app can be installed directly on the phone. While for iOS, iCloud credentials are required and physical access is needed only if 2FA is on. The SpyX has three packages to try, it costs you $48.99 for 1 month, $ 27.99/mo for 3 months, and $11.66/mo for a year.

2. Limiting or Managing Screen Time

You can set a time limit from 40 to 120 minutes on the TikTok app. This way your kid will need a passcode to continue using TikTok after this limit.

3. Restricted Mode is the default setting

With Restricted Mode, content can be restricted more quickly and with a broader brushstroke. At the account settings level, Restricted Mode limits the visibility of content that may not be appropriate for all audiences. It is always possible to turn off Restricted Mode by the person who enabled it in the first place. When your teen misses a video they want to see, you can switch it back for them whenever you want. This way you can better monitor TikTok actions.

4. Pairings inside families

TikTok recently added Family Pairing Mode to its privacy control measures. In order to enable it, both parents and children must have separate TikTok accounts. From their own devices, parents can manage their child's privacy settings once their account is linked.

5. Make the account private

 The creator of the account can set the account to private so that no one else will be able to see the videos. You can approve or deny users with a private account, and limit incoming messages to followers only. This way you can make sure that your child would stay away from strangers and predators online.

6. Video streaming

 TikTok has become one of the top social media platforms for live video streaming since it was introduced live streaming in 2014. But you can monitor your kid's activity using spying apps and educate the child about potential threats in video streaming.

7. Set control on the comment section

Not only friends but a random person can comment on your child's video clip. The random person is not always nice or kind enough to consider your kid's age. You can turn off the comment section or simply limit certain comments on any video.

8. Control on Direct Messages

The feature can be disabled completely or you can choose only friends to be able to send messages to your child. It will help you to restrict bad guys from their accounts.

Part 2. Why Is TikTok Popular among Teens

The simple answer is “IT'S EASY”. It is one of the leading video streaming platforms and is widely regarded as a market leader. There is a lot of interest in TikTok among all generations, especially among teens. It is not as difficult as Instagram or Facebook where you need to manage every single detail. The short videos on TikTok are easy to make and the app provides all the essential tools. Moreover, not to mention that viral TikTok videos can make you famous overnight. However, we will look at some of the important reasons:

1. For your page and its algorithm

Many teenagers are addicted to TikTok because of its content discovery feed, also known as the "For You" page. Users can discover new content on this page, which serves as the app's primary timeline. This page within TikTok is populated with relevant content based on a proprietary algorithm that employs AI and machine learning. This way it shows you all the content that you are interested in or showed interest in previously.

2. Showcase of Creativity

Comparatively, TikTok is more suited to creating entertaining videos and short clips than most other social networks. Video footage can be repurposed and used in new ways to create a unique take on someone else's idea.

3. Challenges

You will hardly find anyone who has not heard of #kikidance challenge or #icebucket challenge. It is possible for even the most insignificant account to become a viral celebrity because of such hashtags, which inspire users to participate in different competitions and challenges on this app.

4. Trends on TikTok

Materials aligned with current online trends are prioritized by the algorithm. It is common for users to create content that aligns with hot trends, may it be a song, a meme, or dialogue. People create videos based on the trend since they tend to generate more engagement.

5. Localized Content

Local competitions and challenges are often run through the app, and it captures local patterns through hashtags. That is why you might see some similar videos created by different influencers in your city.

6. Platform for Members

TikTok has very limited privacy policies. A person might repurpose audio from another video to make their own version of someone else's idea.

7. Competition for making a colossal fan following

TikTok is the only app that can make you famous instantly by creating viral content. Believe it or not, a huge fan following on TikTok can also make you a millionaire in a short span.  

8. Authenticity

You can create a TikTok video within seconds. Video creation and viewing are easy, quick, and require little effort since the format is limited to 15 seconds. There is no staging or preparation to make the material appear flawless and the app does not monitor the details.

9. High Tech Filters

 You can look attractive in each filter of TikTok. This is another popular reason why this app is popular among kids. You don’t need to put any effort into dressing up. You can get up from bed and use the TikTok filters to make videos.

10. Influencers

We all know influencers earn millions of dollars using TikTok. May it be mega influencers or micro-influencers, each of them gets something out of this app. Teens who are craving instant success can get addicted to this app.

11. Video Orientation

Additionally, TikTok promotes vertically oriented videos, allowing kids to make videos wherever they are and whenever they have some free time.

12. Global users

TikTok gains millions of users each year, making it one of the most widely used apps across the world. Due to its growing popularity in almost every country, a new generation is attracted to this app.

13. Tools for Creators

There is a vast music library, easy editing, and numerous filters to choose from. So you don’t have to be a premier pro expert or use any other editing tool to create viral videos.

14. Video Functionality

Video creation and posting are smooth on TikTok. Because of its simplicity, TikTok stands out among competitors.

15. Possible to Make Money through TikTok

Anybody who knows how to use TikTok can make millions of dollars out of it. People can earn money by being a make-up artist on TikTok, being a life coach, a member, or anything that can grab views.

Part 3. Possible Threats to Teenagers while Using Tiktok

Users do not need a login to watch adult videos on TikTok, unlike YouTube's age-tagging mechanism. Your child is likely to come across profanity and use words that are inappropriate for their age on TikTok. The adult trends and popular songs can misguide your kid as well. But there are more potential threats to TikTok that we will discuss here:

1. Cyberbullying and harassment

There are unimaginable numbers of hateful, malicious, and hurtful comments on social media. Viewers and creators who regularly use TikTok are at greater risk of scams and stalkers and especially sexual attackers.

2. Tiktok Addiction

Social media is addictive in the early teenage hood. The "For You" page and algorithm are at the heart of TikTok's addictive nature.

3. Decrease in Self-Esteem

It's not uncommon for TikTok users to be body shamed and bullied. Even a positive person can get affected by hurtful and degrading comments. Your child might get extreme self-confidence issues if he or she is constantly seeking validation from TikTok.

4. Decrease in Attention Span

In general, smartphones and social media tend to increase our absent-mindedness, reduce our ability to think and remember, and reduce our ability to pay attention to and regulate our emotions.

5. Body Dysmorphic Disorder

BDD is not directly caused by social media, but it can be exacerbated by it. In addition to constantly taking and posting selfies, you may be scrutinizing yourself unknowingly.

6. Vulgar or Inappropriate Comments and Duets

 There will always be one offensive, dirty or filthy comment on your TikTok video. The risk is even higher when you are a teenage girl. The feature of a duet can also resemble this filthy behavior and your kid might get stuck into a really bad situation.

Part 4. Final Thoughts

If your child is using a social media platform such as TikTok then ensure you understand it as a parent or start monitoring their activities. Check out the spying app for TikTok by yourself, so you can ask your child what they're seeing on an app or answer their questions about inappropriate videos. Keep an open and honest discussion with your kids so that they can trust you.