SOCIAL MEDIA APPS
TikTok
A Dangerous Platform for Youth
What Is TikTok?
With over 3 billion downloads and more than 1.5 billion active monthly users, TikTok has become an integral part of our daily lives. Some studies show that approximately 20% of Internet users use TikTok, however, TikTok is a dangerous app that can have negative effects on young people’s mental health and expose them to inappropriate content and online predators. TikTok places an emphasis on popular music, with many videos containing profanity and sexual lyrics. The platform allows its users to create and watch up to 15 second video content, and this very heavily advertised app fits a ready-made desire for micro-entertainment.
What Are The Dangers?
TikTok’s content, known to be highly sexualized, often contains profanity and other explicit content. It encourages its users to be very creative, which is part of the reason you will hear and see sexual content. Even certain narratives are promoted. It is simple for children to create, watch, and share 15-second videos shot on mobile devices. TikTok’s highly addictive nature has youth spending hours scrolling through videos. The platform’s algorithm is designed to show users personalized content that motivates them to stay on the app for as long as possible. This can lead to negative effects on mental health, such as decreased self-esteem and addiction. This highly addictive app can track your location.
In the US, TikTok can collect biometric data including your face and voiceprint. It can also predict your age, gender and interests based on your activity. Certain permissions allow TikTok to: Access the camera and take pictures/video, use the microphone (and record sound), the device’s WIFI connection, and the full contact list on the device. TikTok can even determine if the internet is available and access it. Not only does the app receive information, including a person’s IP address, their web browsing habits, and search history, but it also allows third-party trackers on its platform, meaning your TikTok data can go into cyberspace. Those third-party trackers can also track your activity, even after you close TikTok. This data can be shared with third-party advertisers and even governments, including China’s authoritarian government. The platform has been banned in several countries, including India, due to concerns over data privacy, and its messaging feature can be used to send inappropriate messages, making it easy for strangers to contact young people and putting them at risk of online predators and grooming.
What Can I Do?
By deleting your account and uninstalling the TikTok app, TikTok can’t collect your data going forward, however, this alone may not fully address all privacy concerns. The data that TikTok has already collected from you before you deleted your account may still be retained by the company. It’s always a good idea to review and adjust the privacy settings on all your apps, websites, and devices to override how much data is being tracked, to ensure that you’re comfortable with what’s collected and how it’s used. As a parent, it’s crucial to monitor your child’s social media activity, and educate them on safe online behavior. We recommend considering other social media platforms that have better privacy and safety policies.
