Is your kid using a lot of TikTok these days? Are you planning to use TikTok yourself?
If yes, then you are reading the right article. In this article, I will tell you whether TikTok is safe for kids or not and what are the dangers of TikTok for children. Not only this but I will also tell you whether TikTok is dangerous or safe for adults or not. And what are the risks of TikTok that you need to keep in mind if you yourself are planning to use TikTok?
Quick Navigation
- Is TikTok Safe For Adults?
- What Are The Dangers Of TikTok?
- Is TikTok Safe For Kids?
- Why Is TikTok Bad For Your Child?
- How To Make TikTok Safe For Kids?
- FAQs
Is TikTok Safe For Adults?
Let me first tell you whether TikTok is safe for adults to use or not then we will talk about kids.
TikTok has really grown in popularity in recent years. I know every one of your friends must be using it too. If you are also thinking of making an account for yourself then you can go ahead and make one. Like other social platforms, TikTok is safe for adults too. If you have an account on Instagram or Facebook then you can surely have an account on TikTok too.
Having said that, there are some things that you need to keep in mind before joining TikTok. Just keep reading to learn about them.
What Are The Dangers Of TikTok?
As discussed, TikTok is safe to use for adults but there are a couple of things that you should know before using it.
1) Data Collection
The first thing that you need to know is that TikTok will collect a lot of data about you. It will collect so many things about you that it will know you better than your own self.
The data that TikTok collects is as follows:
- What videos are you watching on TikTok and for how long are you watching them? You will never remember this but TikTok will.
- The sent and received messages on TikTok are not encrypted. Therefore TikTok will know what messages you are sending and receiving. If you start using TikTok then be careful before sending anything personal like OTP, card number, etc.
- You will give TikTok access to your contact list because you will surely want to get in touch with your contacts on TikTok. This way TikTok will know about all your contacts saved on your smartphone.
- You will give TikTok access to your other social networks like Instagram and Facebook. This way TikTok will also know about the people that you are friends with on different social networking sites.
- TikTok will also know about your location through your smartphone because you will give it location permission.
- It will also collect your personal information like name, age, gender, phone number, etc.
- You will also give permission to TikTok to access your microphone and camera so as to be able to make videos with it. This way TikTok will also collect your biometric data.
- There are a lot of brands that advertise on TikTok, right? So if you will find something useful on TikTok, you are also likely to purchase things. Therefore TikTok will also collect your payment information as well.
Like this, there are a lot of things that TikTok will collect about you if you start using it. If you are ok with this data being collected about you then you can definitely use TikTok.
2) TikTok Scams
Scammers are changing with the world and are getting smarter day by day. They are finding new ways to trick people. TikTok is trying hard to take these scammers out but is not 100% successful yet. And if you are planning to use TikTok, then you should know about these scams as well.
a) Investment Scam
The biggest scam that is surfacing these days is the investment scam. Blockchains, cryptocurrencies, etc. are taking the market by storm. Everyone is either investing in them or thinking of investing. Scammers know this and are taking its full advantage. So if you ever come across an investment opportunity or too good to be a true investment deal, I will suggest you block it right away.
b) Followers And Likes Scam
Everyone wants to get famous quickly on TikTok. When you see other people’s videos reaching millions of views and getting millions of likes then you will also want the same for yourself. Scammers also know this and will contact you on the pretext of giving you more followers and likes.
c) Honey Trap
Another very big scam that is going on on TikTok is the honey traps. Scammers make fake profiles of people and then will contact you and make you fall in love with them. And once you trust them fully they will take undue advantage of you, be it sexually or financially. Scammers befriend people, then record videos of them getting intimate and then blackmail them and ask for money. So never ever trust strangers on TikTok if you start using it.
d) Phishing
Phishing attacks are also prominent on TikTok. Therefore do not ever click on any link you come across that seems inappropriate. Scammers pretend to be trusted sources and then make you click a link. When you click on the link then either malware will get installed on your smartphone or they will try to take your personal information.
These were the things that you need to keep in mind if you are planning to use TikTok yourself. Just be aware and you will enjoy using TikTok.
Is TikTok Safe For Kids?
Youngsters are using TikTok more than adults. And if you have found your kids using it as well then you must be wondering whether or not TikTok is safe for kids, right?
Well, the answer to this question is both yes and no. Yes, TikTok is safe for kids if you keep an eye on their TikTok usage. And no, it is not suitable for children if you are not checking what exactly they are doing on it. It does not matter whether your kid is 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, or 13 years old, you need to keep an eye on their TikTok usage. Because TikTok can become dangerous for them.
TikTok does not allow kids to join its platform if they are younger than 13 years, but hey kids are smarter these days. They know how to get around things, to join TikTok they might lie about their age. And TikTok will not do a background check to verify their age. Therefore you need to keep an eye on the TikTok usage of your kids.
Why Is TikTok Bad For Your Child?
Let me tell you why TikTok can be bad and inappropriate for kids.
1) Adult Content
TikTok is filled with accounts that do not hesitate to share adult content. And if your child is also using TikTok then he/she can get exposed to adult content, which I am sure is not at all appropriate for kids.
2) Direct Messaging
On TikTok, anyone can get in touch with anyone through its messaging feature. This puts your kid in front of numerous strangers on the platform. Not everyone has good intentions and scammers can get in touch with your children through direct messaging and can take undue advantage of them by becoming their friends.
3) Imitating People
TikTok is also filled with people that can do extraordinary things like stunts. Your kids might get impressed after watching such videos and might want to imitate them. And needless to say, this can be very dangerous for them.
4) Phishing
Like adults, teenagers can also become victims of phishing attacks. Once they do, they might give scammers all your data and put you as well as themselves at risk.
How To Make TikTok Safe For Kids?
You can actually do a few things to make TikTok safe for your kids. Let me tell you about them one by one.
1) Reduce Screen Time
If you do not want your kid to use TikTok all the time then you can reduce their screen time. In fact, TikTok itself allows you to do this. You can go to your kid’s TikTok settings and then limit their screen time from 40 minutes to a maximum of two hours a day. You can even protect this setting with a password so that your child is not able to change it.
Furthermore, you can also make use of the Digital Wellbeing & Parental Controls feature on Android to restrict screen time. The less your kids use TikTok, the less dangerous it will be for them.
2) Restricted Mode
You can also turn on the restricted mode on your kid’s TikTok account. This will filter out the content that your kid watches on TikTok.
3) Family Pairing
If you want to control the above settings of your child’s TikTok then you can use the Family Paring option of TikTok. For this, you will have to make an account for yourself on TikTok and then you will have to pair your account with your kid’s account. Once paired, you will be able to control the settings of your child’s account from your TikTok account.
4) Set Their Account To Private
You can also set their TikTok account to private. This will prevent strangers from sending them direct messages. And also people will need approval if they want to follow your children.
5) Use A Spy App
You can do all the things mentioned above but as I said earlier, kids are smarter these days. So they will find a way to bypass all your security settings. Or it can also happen that they make a new account for themselves without telling you.
To truly see what your kids are doing on TikTok with and without your supervision, you can use a TikTok spy app. All you will have to do is install a spy app on their cell phone and then you will be able to see everything that your kids do on TikTok. The best part of this method is that you will be able to see their TikTok activities remotely without them even knowing.
You will be able to see the following TikTok activities of your kids:
- What type of videos they are watching?
- To whom they are talking?
- How much time they are spending using TikTok?
- What they are searching on TikTok, and much more.
The added advantage of using a spy app is that you will not only be able to keep an eye on your kid’s TikTok but will also be able to:
- Spy on Instagram
- Spy On Facebook Activity
- Spy On Viber
- Spy On Kik Account, and much more.
FAQs
Is It Safe To Be On TikTok?
Yes, it is safe to be on TikTok.
Is TikTok Appropriate For Kids?
Yes, TikTok is appropriate for kids, provided you are keeping an eye on their TikTok account.
Is TikTok Ok For Kids Under 13?
No, TikTok is not appropriate for kids under 13. In fact, TikTok does not allow kids under 13 to make an account.
Does TikTok Collects Data?
Yes, TikTok collects a lot of data about you.
