If you’ve never scrolled TikTok, it’s easy to write it off as a space for silly dance routines and lip syncs. But TikTok, one of the world’s most popular social apps, has completely changed the face of social media, shifting it from a way to connect with friends and family to a global experience.
TikTok is centered around short-form video content, covering almost every topic imaginable, from gaming and comedy to politics and crafting. The powerful algorithm curates a personalized feed based on viewing habits, likes, and how long you watch a video – meaning no two experiences are the same, and it can feel like TikTok just gets you. A feed full of tailored videos might sound harmless, but TikTok’s pull can be difficult to resist, and it has some serious safety risks that go deeper than viral songs or “get-ready-with-me” videos – particularly for teens.
What can teens do on TikTok?
TikTok’s FYP (For You Page) uses an algorithm to serve videos in your child’s feed – the more they engage with particular topics, such as by commenting, liking, sharing, or even just spending a little longer on the video, the more their feed gets to know them and serves them content designed to keep them engaged. The feed is bottomless, meaning they can scroll until boredom wins out – though endless scrolls often get used as an “antidote” to their boredom.
Alongside the feed, teens can:
- Create and edit content with filters, music, and special effects
- Interact with creators by liking, sharing, and commenting
- Follow creators to funnel them into a separate “Following” feed
- Use the search tool to find videos on any particular topic
- Shop for items promoted on TikTok through TikTok Shop
- Send private messages, GIFs, stickers, and videos via DMs (if over 16)
- Access live streaming content through TikTok LIVE
TikTok: the risks parents need to know
Direct messaging
TikTok’s direct messaging system is non-existent for under 16s, and 16-17 year-olds have default limitations set – they can only message “friends” (people they follow, who follow them back) unless you select “Don’t receive” in TikTok’s Family Pairing feature. For older teens, though, TikTok’s direct messaging feature presents a significant risk for inappropriate message exchanges – think sexting, photo sharing, or anonymous contact. TikTok friends don’t necessarily mean real-life friends – as all your child needs to do to connect via DM is to follow a user, and gain them as a follower. With this connection, a stranger and your child can directly contact each other, potentially leading to inappropriate conversations and attempts to arrange meetups.
Combined with the potential for anonymous accounts and public profiles, the DM feature makes online predators a significant risk on TikTok. These individuals can use the messaging feature to groom victims, build trust, and eventually attempt to arrange in-person meetings or solicit explicit content.
Adult concepts
While going against TikTok’s community guidelines, and despite moderation, inappropriate videos can still show up in the feed, or while teens view TikTok Live. Content circulating on TikTok can include sexually suggestive themes, strong language, discussions of sensitive topics like drug use or self-harm.
Because TikTok uses an algorithm, the more your child engages with this type of content, the more these topics are likely to be shown in their feed – and this type of content can easily be shown on your child’s FYP without them even searching for it. For a fair number of OnlyFans workers, TikTok acts as a place where they can promote their personalities and accounts to attract new users, potentially exposing younger scrollers to sexually suggestive material without them actively looking for it.
TikTok users are fully aware of the app’s limitations and content guidelines, too. To get around moderation and to stop videos or comments from being deleted, TikTok users often use coded language, or alternative spellings (often termed as “algospeak” to get around the algorithm: think “corn” or the corn emoji 🌽 instead of “porn”, or “unalive” instead of “kill/suicide”).
Misinformation and deception
One positive thing about TikTok is that it allows us to see different perspectives and experiences from all over the world – but this can also be a negative, too. TikTok is full of misleading content, including false information, manipulated videos, and staged events or events taken completely out of context. With AI, it’s become even easier for creators to upload and spread misinformation and propaganda, promote conspiracy theories, or produce “rage bait” videos, gaining them views and followers no matter the cost.
Online anonymity also means it’s easy for bad actors to create accounts misrepresenting who they are, creating opportunities for deception. People looking to troll or bully others, scammers, and predators can easily create a fake profile on TikTok, forging connections and exploiting young people’s trust to manipulate, extort, or abuse.
Influencer culture
If your teen is actively uploading content on TikTok, posting videos and chasing likes can be a source of anxiety and comparison. It’s easy to get caught up in creating the picture-perfect look, or wanting to seem like they’re doing better than others or have more than they do. Even if your child isn’t actively posting on TikTok or social media at all, social media is more than just fun videos and entertainment – it’s advertising, and teens can be easily influenced by trends they see across their feed. Pressure to have the latest “must-have” item is nothing new, but social media fuels our fear of missing out, and drives trends faster, meaning it can be hard for kids (and their money – or yours) to keep up with what’s cool.
Violence
Although TikTok attempts to moderate violent content, and the platform’s Community Guidelines outline the type of content users can post, videos depicting fights, dangerous stunts, violent extremism, death, and self-harm still appear in feeds and filter through the cracks, highlighting the limitations of TikTok’s AI filters.
Viral challenges are often a far cry away from a cute dance to copy – a number of them promote harmful behaviors (with the platform’s algorithm often increasing their popularity) and the risk of young people being exposed to or attempting often dangerous trends is a significant concern, especially as social media content moves at such a fast pace that it’s hard for parents to keep up with the latest online trends and viral TikTok challenges.
Bullying and doxxing
Unless the creator turns their comments off on a video, or restricts who can message them, DMs and comment sections can easily be used to bully and harass others. Because TikTok is so open in nature – anyone can create an account and create content of their own, which can find its way into anyone’s algorithm – users can watch and comment from anywhere in the world, meaning comment sections can quickly turn nasty.
Unless turned off, TikTok also allows other users to “stitch” videos. This lets you take someone’s video and react to it, inserting commentary or an original take on the content. While this can be a fun way to create new content from an existing video, it has the potential to be used in a negative or harmful way, triggering verbal abuse or hate towards the original creator, or spreading rumors from clips shown without context. Online users can quickly turn against brands or creators after a negative reaction to their opinion or content, sometimes leading to a witch hunt for information – like home address, job or position, or sensitive data, which can be revealed online (otherwise known as doxxing).
Endless scroll
TikTok is designed to engage – keeping users on the platform for longer, offering up more advertising opportunities. The endless scroll format can be very difficult for both kids and adults to tear themselves away from, leading to excessive screen time. It’s easy to be sucked into a stream of short videos without realizing how long you’re really spending on the app. For younger users, TikTok offers in-app screen time management tools that allow users to set daily limits and take a break.
Privacy and data concerns
TikTok has been criticized for how it collects and handles user data, particularly in the US, where concerns about privacy and where data is stored triggered a law forcing TikTok’s sale to a US company. Like most social media, however, no matter where and how data is collected, it’s stored somewhere, giving rise to worries about privacy and the impact on younger users’ digital footprint. TikTok collects personal information, like date of birth and contact details, along with data showing how each user explores the app, such as likes, comments, and search history. It also collects more technical information, like location, IP address, and what kind of device your child is accessing from. This data may be shared with third parties, increasing privacy and security risks.
Making TikTok safer for teens
If your child uses TikTok, or wants to create an account, there are some steps you can take to reduce the risks:
1. Establish clear rules and guidelines
Use a family tech agreement to outline rules for how your child uses technology and social media, making sure you align on how they’ll navigate screen time, online interactions, privacy settings, and in-app purchases. Talk to them about appropriate online behavior, how to handle negativity on social media, and who they can come to if they see anything that worries them online.
2. Use parental controls and safety features
Use TikTok’s Family Pairing feature to link your account with your teen’s, which will allow you to manage screen time, restrict content, control who DMs them (if at all), and more. While Family Pairing allows you to enable or disable DM features, it won’t alert you to any concerning messages. Qustodio’s Social monitoring feature lets you know if your child receives any worrying messages in their TikTok DMs, from sexual content to bullying behavior, keeping you in the loop.
3. Protect personal information and privacy
Teach your teen the importance of protecting their personal information. Emphasize that they should never share details like their real name, age, location, address, or school details in their TikTok profile or videos. Discuss the risks associated with posting online, and linking external accounts, such as other social media platforms. Ensure your teen’s account is set to Private to limit who can see their content and who can contact them.
4. Address online spending
Discuss the risks associated with in-app purchases, what scams can look like on social media, and how to keep payment details safe. Explain how influencers promote products and encourage impulse purchases. Set clear guidelines for spending and consider limiting or disabling in-app purchases on your teen’s device.
5. Understand TikTok and the content your child sees on it
Familiarize yourself with TikTok’s features and functions, and what the algorithm might offer up by searching for or engaging with topics your child is interested in. Talk to your teen about the types of content they like watching and any concerns you may have about specific trends or creators. While it can be tough to keep up with trends, talking to your teen about what they’ve seen online or what they’re seeing their friends do can help you understand what might pose a risk to your child, and what’s safe.
6. Encourage balanced use
Set clear limits for TikTok use (and social media use in general). Wellbeing tools like Qustodio can help limit daily screen time or build routines that encourage disconnection, blocking access to the TikTok app entirely or your child’s device, so they get to balance the best of both worlds.
As conversations around social media safety continue to be a hot topic for debate, we know these platforms – TikTok included – play a huge role in how teens now socialize and experience the world. Social media can be an outlet for creativity and connection, but not without risk. By staying informed, introducing social media in an age-appropriate way, setting clear boundaries, and engaging with your child, you can help them set up positive social media habits that will stick with them as they grow.
