Is TikTok safe for our children?

If you have teenage children, there is almost no shadow of a doubt that you’ve heard about TikTok. The popular video-sharing app is a global phenomenon and now has an estimated 10 million users in the UK alone. With so many people in the UK using the app, many of whom being teenagers, we have to ask, is it safe for our children?

Dangerous TikTok Trends and Challenges

The first place to start when asking whether this app is safe for our children is by looking at its popular trends and challenges. Often involving dances to catchy songs, TikTok challenges will see users recreate videos at home themselves. However, some of these challenges have been known to be dangerous and in 2020 especially, this plight became a real issue worldwide.

According to Social Films: “Dangerous challenges like #SkullBreaker and #PennyChallenge gained popularity in 2020 but led to 5 teens hospitalised, 2 prosecuted and 1 killed.” Both trends were banned by the app in March and since then the app creators have been more vigilant about stemming any potentially dangerous challenges.

However, with the vast amount of content on the app it’s important to make sure, if you have a child who is creating TikTok videos, that they understand the difference between a fun dance or trend and something potentially harmful. A great way to do this is to get involved in the making of the videos, not only is this a great way to ensure they are being safe and have some important bonding time.

Breaches in Data-Privacy

Another major concern when it comes to TikTok is how it uses children’s data. This month, a claim is facing a legal challenge from former Children’s Commissioner for England Anne Longfield regarding its collection and use of this data. The claim, being filed on behalf of children both in the UK and the EU, could see any child who has used the app (whether with an account or not) being owed thousands.

READ MORE: Who is the new Children's Commissioner for England?

Discussing the lawsuit, a recent BBC article states: “Lawyers will allege that TikTok takes children's personal information, including phone numbers, videos, exact location and biometric data, without sufficient warning, transparency or the necessary consent required by law, and without children or parents knowing what is being done with that information.”

Privacy online is becoming a complex and tricky subject for all people, especially children. Having a full grasp of the information that you supply to the internet can be hard, and, when you have teenagers who use their own mobile devices it can be even harder to know what they are putting online.

Although this lawsuit is yet to start, it’s important that parents take time to sit down with their children to discuss not only the information they choose to share online but the privacy settings they are using on popular apps such as TikTok.

It’s hard to say one way or another whether TikTok is dangerous for our children. After all, for many young people, the past year has been incredibly challenging, and the app has offered a creative outlet for entertainment which has boosted spirits and brought people together.

However, it’s not without its pitfalls, dangerous challenges and data-privacy being two major incidents of this. But, with proper supervision and education, there is no reason why the app can’t be the safe and fun outlet for teenagers that it should be.

If you are looking for help at home, whether it’s someone to take care of the daily chores so you can spend more time on the important things in life or someone to watch the children whilst you are at work, as a domestic staff agency, we can help connect you to the right person. 

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