Seven important ways you can protect your child when they are using TikTok
Want to make sure your child is as safe as possible when using TikTok? Follow these seven expert tips to help protect them.
There is no doubt that social media platforms play a huge role in the mental health and wellbeing of younger generations, especially when they are spending 21 hours a month on apps such as TikTok!
So it’s important to teach them the dangers of TikTok overstimulation and make them aware of the spiralling mental health issues that could occur as a result.
As children and teenagers unlock secretly curated ways to boost their screen time and hide their activity on TikTok, mobile phone specialists Envirofone have stepped in to provide parents with tips to help navigate children’s online safety and prepare them for a more productive routine as they step into a new school term.
Here are seven expert tips to help safeguard your child’s exposure to TikTok.
1) Use family pairing
By linking your child’s TikTok account to yours, you can disable direct messages, turn on restricted content mode, and set screen time limits using your phone. You must scan the QR code inside the Digital Wellbeing section of your kid’s TikTok account from the settings option to activate it. This will then link the two versions.
2) Enable restricted mode
There is a Restricted mode for accounts that can filter out mature content on TikTok. It uses an “automated detection system”, and human moderators are trained to identify specific inappropriate themes. The restricted mode only applies to videos; children can still access explicit music when making their videos.
3) Set screen time limits on TikTok
TikTok has its restrictions on screen time. The daily limit can be between 2-40 hours when a pop-up asks users to leave the programme. Users must provide a passcode to dismiss the warning and keep using TikTok. If you want to stop your child from disabling screen time limitations without your permission, use Family Pairing.
4) Use the ‘guided access’ feature to stop them from swiping on your device
If your child uses your iPhone for screen time, then the guided access feature is a must. This will prevent your children from swiping off any app, sending texts, or finding anything they shouldn’t be looking at.
Activate the guided access feature in your iPhone settings, and head to the app you want to use; triple tap the side of your phone, and it will lock on the screen. To unlock, click three times and then enter your passcode.
5) Make their TikTok account private
Only the creator and followers who the creator has approved can view videos on private accounts. Private accounts are given to users under the age of sixteen by default. However, any account can be made private
6) Bedtime block on app alerts
Bedtime block on app alerts – TikTok has announced a feature preventing teenagers from receiving notifications past bedtime. They will no longer send messages after 9 pm to users 13-15 years old. But for 16 and 17-year-olds, notifications will not be sent after 10 pm.
7) Stop them from deleting and re-downloading apps for longer screen time
One trick children and teens are using to keep their screen time down is deleting the app once it’s reached its maximum screen time.
To make sure your child cannot do this, head to your iTunes & App store purchases in your settings, choose ‘Don’t Allow’ for installing, deleting and in-app purchases, and this will stop them from being able to use this hack.
What data is TikTok gathering about your child? And how can you best protect them? Read here to find out.
Photo by PAN XIAOZHEN
