Surprisingly, 65% of U.S. teens spend at least one hour daily on TikTok. Additionally, research affirms that 44% of TikTok users are under 25 years old, thanks to the app’s short, visually appealing content.
While it’s a perfect social media platform for comic videos, makeup tutorials, dance challenges, and creative DIYs, most parents often ask, “Is TikTok safe? “In this blog, we explore TikTok’s security risks and how to set parental controls for your kid’s safety.
Why Is TikTok Dangerous?
Despite being an excellent entertainment platform, TikTok is turning into a goldmine for marketing professionals. But aside from all the fun things, is TikTok dangerous?
Like other social media sites, TikTok has security and privacy vulnerabilities. However, the platform’s noninvasive data collection strategy includes accessing and sharing sensitive personal information, even without users providing it.
Apart from security issues, TikTok is addictive and likely to harm your children’s mental health. From infinite scrolling to harmful sexual and violence-related content, TikTok exposes children and younger audiences to content that can cause depressive behaviors.
Is TikTok Safe to Download: 4 Potential Dangers
- Data privacy
TikTok collects and accumulates personal data, leaving children and young adults prone to cyber-attacks.
- Inappropriate content
TikTok has rules prohibiting users from posting illegal or inappropriate content. However, the regulations aren’t enough to protect kids. This puts your child in danger of viewing inappropriate content or participating in dangerous TikTok challenges.
- Cyberbullying
According to Security.org, kids using TikTok have a 64% likelihood of experiencing cyberbullying.
- Stress and anxiety
The addictive nature of TikTok, social isolation, cyberbullying, and social comparison may cause depressive habits in children.
How to Put Parental Controls on TikTok? Parent’s Helper
Can you put parental controls on TikTok? Absolutely! One way to keep your children safe on TikTok is to set up parental control on their devices.
Common Helpful TikTok Parental Control Options
1. Private accounts. To limit who contacts your child, you can set their account to private from the phone’s settings.
2. Screen time. TikTok has settings for limiting screen time according to a user’s age. However, it’s more effective to set your limits to prevent your child from addiction.
3. Restricting function. Using this option, you can block age-inappropriate content or limit video comments and block videos from specific TikTok users.
Parentaler – The Best Parental Control Choice
While TikTok’s parental control options are great, they are not foolproof. Parentaler is a parental control app that secretly monitors your child’s online activities. This app gives detailed reports about your child’s location, text/calls, and browsing history from your online dashboard.
Can You Put Parental Controls on TikTok – Parentaler Installation Guide
Step 1: Go to the target phone’s Google Play Store or App Store. Search for Parentaler, download it, and install it.
Step 2: Follow the on-screen prompts to create an account. Create a password.
Step 3: Log into your new account; configure the settings.
Step 4: Follow the prompts on your screen to pair your child’s phone with your Parentaler account. Verify your phone’s connection and enter the pairing code, if required.
Should You Let Your Kids Use TikTok?
If you’re curious about is TikTok safe, keep the next thoughts in mind. Several conditions determine the decision about letting your children use TikTok.
- Consider your child’s age. TikTok seeks users who have reached the age of thirteen. Younger children who need a TikTok experience should install the TikTok app for younger users.
- Explore TikTok’s family pairing and ‘restrict mode’ features. Ensure you link your account with your child’s to monitor their activities and intervene where necessary. Also, openly discuss internet safety with your child.
How to Stay Safe on TikTok?
Ways to stay safe on TikTok include:
- Utilize parental control features on TikTok to filter harmful content and control screen time.
- Start an honest conversation with your child. Discuss the risks of using TikTok and practical ways of using it safely.
- Is TikTok safe to download? To know if your child is safe on TikTok, link your accounts via the family pairing feature to see who your child interacts with, videos posted, search history, and more.
- Keep your kid’s account private and control their interactions.
Conclusion
Finally, is TikTok safe? It’s an excellent platform for kids to get creative, learn, and have fun. Nevertheless, it poses numerous dangers to younger users if not monitored. Therefore, we advise you to use the following tips to protect your child
FAQ
Yes, the TikTok app can access your mobile data, including location, camera, emails, and microphone, but with your permission.
TikTok can access your phone’s camera only if you give your consent. That said, no evidence confirms that TikTok secretly spies on you through your device’s camera.
No, while TikTok collects personal details like your date of birth, email, password, and phone number during account registration, this doesn’t amount to stealing because you give the information willingly.
According to experts, Instagram has more safety functions than TikTok, making it a safer option.
