The following outlines facts parents should know about TikTok and provides a “how-to” for blocking TikTok on your child’s devices.
What Parents Need to Know About TikTok
- TikTok is the most popular social media app among children in the U.S.
- 41% of American children use TikTok for an average of 120 minutes per day
- Accounts registered as 13-year-olds were exposed to suicide content within 2.6 minutes of using the app and eating disorder content within 8 minutes
- Suicide-related hashtags produced more than 1.43 million posts and 8.8 billion views
- The app collects and stores data, including location and financial information
- FBI Director Chris Wray says that China can control the app’s recommendation algorithm “which allows them to manipulate content, and if they want to, to use it for influence operations.”
- TikTok is also known for promoting “challenges” to users, some of which are extremely dangerous. You can see a comprehensive list