What is TikTok?
It's a lively mega-popular social network
built around creating, sharing and searching for short videos.
Users can upload clips of themselves singing, dancing,
performing silly stunts, giving advice and a whole lot more.
Not surprisingly, kids love to get their groove on with this app.
TikTok has cool filters, speed adjustments, live streaming
and a duet function specifically for friends and other places.
The app can also be a fun way to get creative
and take on some of Tiktok's more constructive challenges.
Plus, you can find teachers and book lovers who share cool info there too.
But as entertaining as it may be, TikTok isn't problem free.
Because it uses real music, you can find lots of iffy song
lyrics and performances that include swearing and sexual content.
Also—just like with other platforms—watch out for potentially harmful
rabbit holes around misinformation, eating disorders and more.
Before getting started, dive into the privacy settings,
specifically the Family Safety mode that lets adults link their own account
to their kids’, and set time
limits, place kids accounts on restricted mode and disable direct messages.
If you're hoping to get a clear picture of how your kids are using TikTok,
here are a few questions you might ask them: What do you love most about TikTok?
Do you share videos publicly or only with friends?
Have you seen or heard anything that made you uncomfortable?
And what do you do in these situations?
To check out our full review of TikTok and lots of other apps, visit us
at CommonSenseMedia.org