Parents Guide: Make TikTok Safe for Kids
TikTok has been the most downloadable social media platform on the internet, with more than 100 million users in the United States alone. A video-sharing platform where you can watch, create and share your video content making it popular especially with the younger generation. But as a parent, we all understand that you are sometimes hesitant to let your child use this app for different safety reasons.
But calm down. TikTok can be potentially dangerous for your child or tweens if you do not take any safety measures. But if you do it right, your kids can enjoy this app while making it safe. One trick is to teach them how to unfollow on TikTok to avoid unwanted content unsuitable for them. And to share more safety precautions on Tiktok, here are some tips you can use to make this platform safe even for your kids.
Use Family Sharing Mode
This feature is probably the must-need safety precaution to monitor and control your child’s activity while using the app. But to use this, you and your child should have a separate account. After enabling this feature, you can now link your account to your child’s and can now control their privacy settings. This mode is password-protected, so your child cannot reverse the settings you have set up. This feature allows parents like you to manage screen time, direct messaging, and types of content that your child can watch on the app.
To set this up, tap the three dots next to your user profile and choose Digital Wellbeing. Then tap on Family sharing and follow the instruction. Lastly, scan the QR code on your phone using your kid’s cellphone to finally finish access and manage the security features of your kid’s account.
Set the Control Screen Time
You can use this feature to set time limits for your child to use the TikTok app. You can manage this setting if you enable the family sharing mode. But if not, you will need to set this up on your kid’s device.
To control this feature from your child’s phone, go to the profile, tap the three dots button to open the settings, and select Digital Wellbeing. Tap the screen Time Management and tap the red button to turn it on, and lastly, confirm and insert the password.
Limit Direct Messages
In this platform, you can limit who can send direct messages to your kid’s TikTok or turn it off completely. It can prevent your child from talking with strangers they do not know on social media. Again you can access this through the family sharing mode. But if it is not activated, you can still control this setting by adjusting it directly from your child’s TikTok account and device.
To do this, you must open your kid’s TikTok profile and tap the three dots button to open the settings. Open the Privacy and Safety and select the Who can send you messages. From there, choose from Everyone, Friends, or turn it Off.
Decide on Who Can Comment on Your Childs’s Video
If your kid enjoys making videos and uploading them on the platform, there’s a big chance that strangers can see them and put inappropriate comments on them. To protect your child, just like in direct messaging, you can decide who can comment on your child’s posted videos. You can activate this on Family Sharing Settings.
Activate Restricted Mode
This option allows parents like you to control and prohibit unsuitable content from displaying on a child’s TikTok feed. Again you can do it through the Family Sharing option. But if not, access your kid’s TikTok account on its device and manually turn this on.
To do this, same as above, follow the steps to open the Digital Wellbeing option on your child’s TikTok account. Tap the Restricted Mode and turn it on. Remember, choosing and confirming the passcode is needed to activate this safety feature.
Make Your Kids Account Private
TikTok accounts of users below 15 years old will be set to private by default. Prohibiting them send messages and only allowing friends to comment on their posted videos. But if you are still worried, you can always check your son or daughter’s account by going to the Privacy and Safety option on your child’s account and toggle the Private Account to On.
Discuss Internet Safety with Your Kids
Lastly, communication between you and your child is the best way to make the TikTok platform safe for them. Teach and discuss with your kids about online safety and how to protect themselves from dangers in the internet world. Teach them to set boundaries and respect other users on the platform.
Final Thoughts
Allowing your child to use TikTok may come with a risk to their safety. That is why TikTok has put several security and safety measures to mitigate this risk. But even we, users or parents of users, have a task to fulfill. And with the help of the guide above, we hope that all of us can play our role in making this online platform safe for everyone, especially kids. So if you want more updates and news about social media, visit CellularNews.com.
