Is TikTok Appropriate for 10-Year-Olds? (Short Answer - No)

With over 1.677 billion users worldwide, the popularity of TikTok is growing constantly, grabbing the attention of young people, especially teenagers. So, it becomes a matter of concern for parents.

With the rising number of cyberbullying and identity theft, there is no denying that kids are at a high risk. Also, addiction to the TikTok app can take a toll on their mental health.

Educating children about online safety practices and setting limits on their screen time can help mitigate these risks and buy TikTok views safely.

So, with all these concerns and questionable influences of the content’s nature on TikTok, parents often ask, ‘Is TikTok appropriate for 10-year-olds? This guide will be beneficial for those parents and will discuss the safety measures they may take for their children.

Key Takeaway

In short, TikTok is not an appropriate social media app for a 10-year-old kid to use. They may become addicted to it without knowing the adverse consequences. So, parents must take preventive measures for this.

Is TikTok Appropriate for 10-Year-Olds?

The answer to the question is not as simple as one may think. After social media apps come into our lives, they streamline how we communicate with everyone. Here lies the main problem and causes of justified fears for every parent of children, regardless of their age. 

Monitoring their activity, setting boundaries, and fostering open communication are essential steps in ensuring their safety while navigating social media and helping them get more TikTok followers responsibly.

Here are the reasons that indicate why TikTok is not the right app that a 10-year kid can use:

#1. Kids Can Become Target of Predators

The global reach of TikTok allows its users to contact anyone worldwide, which further brings its hazards. As TikTok has a direct commenting and message feature, the chances of your kid messaging any random user increase.

It encourages online predators and makes it easy for them to target children. According to a report, almost 500,000 online predators are looking for ways to target kids. They lure the children with compliments and then ask them to do duets. After that, they send young content creators explicit messages.

Implementing safety measures, such as restricting access to certain features and educating children about online safety, can help safeguard their well-being while using social media platforms and ensure they get more TikTok likes responsibly.

#2. Higher Chances of Accessing Inappropriate Content

There are two primary sections in TikTok: one is the ‘For You’ page, and another is the ‘Explore Page.’ Even though the ‘For You’ suggests posts that users may like to offer a more personalized experience.

But, ‘Explore Page’ has no limits, and through it, one may land into inappropriate content. This can be problematic and dangerous for kids’ future. The worst part is even if you set your children’s account to private, they still can access violent or sexual content.

#3. TikTok May Disturb Their Mental Health

TikTok features content that may be too sensitive or personal for your kids. So, these videos not only directly impact the children but also cause self-harm. Apart from that, the constant exposure to different unrealistic content can impact their mental health as well. 

TikTok addiction is also dangerous as they might develop anxiety, depression, and other mental problems.

#4. Kids May Encounter Cyber Bullying

Like any other social media platform, TikTok has become a hotbed for cyberbullying, hateful comments, and online harassment. As per a study, 21% of children aged between 10 years and 18 years have encountered cyberbullying.

Now, people even create fake accounts to bully others on TikTok, and they do it, especially through comments and reaction features. There is no denying that hurtful comments can break children’s hearts and discourage them from making content.

#5. Popular Trends May Mislead Teenagers

TikTok is famous for its engaging community of digital creators who are constantly creating lip-sync videos, challenges, and dance routines. All these TikTok trends always attract tweens to keep them engaged and entertained. So, there is a possibility that kids may influenced by those trends that have questionable or risky activities.

#6. Privacy Concerns Is a Major Issue

TikTok has faced scrutiny over its handling of users’ data, increasing significant privacy concerns. So, the data collection practices of this social media platform also enhance the chances of data breaches, which can pose a threat to your child’s privacy. Therefore, all parents must ensure that their children are well-educated about protecting their personal information.

#7. Kids Can Get Addicted to TikTok

The engaging and addictive nature of TikTok can eventually lead to increased screen time habits. After a certain point, they may use this social media app excessively. 

As a result, it will hurt their studies, physical activities, and overall health. So, parents must manage their kids’ screen time by restricting them to a specific time to use TikTok.

How Does TikTok Work? Is There Any Child Version Available?

TikTok is a popular social media platform that allows people to post short video content. People from worldwide can use this platform to showcase their talent, produce engaging content, and promote their brands or products. To use TikTok, individuals must open their account using their phone number and email.

For those seeking to maximize their presence on TikTok, engaging with social media growth services can provide valuable assistance in optimizing content, increasing visibility, and fostering audience growth.

As per a study, the number of users on TikTok grew by 10.5% in 2023. So, the increasing popularity of TikTok grabs the attention of both adults and kids.

While adults can tackle the social media advantages and disadvantages maturely, kids cannot differentiate between these two. Even though TikTok has safety features, it does not have any child version. 

Guiding children on responsible usage can help them enjoy social media while staying safe and get free views on TikTok.

Also, the app has an age restriction where it is mentioned that children must be at least 13 years old to use the TikTok app.

TikTok’s Initiatives to Protect Teenagers- Exploring Its Safety Features

TikTok offers some ways for parents and caregivers to handle the TikTok accounts of the kids. They can enable the content filter and time limits and safeguard the phone’s settings with a password. Apart from that, you can utilize all the safety features to protect your child from future adverse consequences.

When you take advantage of these safety measures, parents can ensure a safer online experience for their children while using TikTok and help them get free TikTok followers responsibly.

#1. Screen Time Management

As TikTok understands the significance of limiting a kid’s screen time, it comes up with a screen time management feature. With it, parents can easily control and monitor their kids’ app usage.

They can restrict the time limit for their children to maintain a healthy balance between offline and online activities. This specific feature is helpful since it prevents the children from developing app addiction.

#2. Family Pairing

The family pairing is an excellent child safety feature that allows parents to add their TikTok accounts with their tweens’ TikTok accounts. As a result, they can oversee what their kids are doing on TikTok.

Through this feature, parents can even change the privacy of their kids’ accounts and receive updates on their phones. So, it is indeed a great feature that offers a safer online journey to children.

Parents can utilize this feature to monitor their children’s interactions and ensure their safety while using TikTok, helping them get free TikTok likes responsibly.

#3. Restricted Mode

The restricted mode of TikTok is another significant feature to improve the correctness of the app to make it usable for every user. This specific mode can filter out all the content that is not kid-friendly or is not mature enough for them to see.

When you activate the mode, it automatically cuts off all the inappropriate or explicit content and only shows the age-specific content to the kids. So, it is fair enough to state that this feature can also make a secure environment for the children.

Safety Measures Parents Must Take to Protect Their Child

At the age of 10, kids are at the crucial phase of their lives where they develop and gain a deeper understanding of the outer world. Also, this is the right stage to hone their social skills.

So, considering the TikTok content flow and trends, they must understand the potential impact it can have on their perspective, behavior, and self-confidence. Since children cannot recognize everything on their own, it is their parents’ responsibility to help them ensure safe internet use.

Here are some ways that they can opt to protect their child:

#1. Content Supervision and Parental Guidance

Firstly, check what type of content they are watching on TikTok. It is essential because there are several kinds of content available on this social media platform that are not the right type of content for them to watch.

Also, enable all the safety features to prevent your child from developing addiction. Furthermore, as a parent, you must restrict their screen time.

#2. Utilize the Digital Wellbeing Feature on TikTok

TikTok provides a ‘Digital Wellbeing’ feature on TikTok for every account that has a limited screen time and restricted mode. So, the primary aim of this feature is to put a restriction on the videos that are not suitable for the specific account viewers. You can activate this feature on your child’s TikTok account right after you open it.

#3. Find Safer TikTok Alternative for Children

Finding safer alternatives for your kid can be another option to protect them. There are several TikTok alternatives available online, including Dubsmash, Likee, Triller, Snapchat, etc. All these apps offer a fun and creative way to make videos. These alternatives work just like TikTok but do not promote any type of explicit content.

#4. Tell Your Kids about Internet Safety Practices

As a 10-year-old kid is always on their vulnerable side in this phase, they must know about internet safety. You can just sit with them and teach them why it is not wise to watch any mature or age-inappropriate content. Tell them more about how the internet can be dangerous if not used properly.

#5. Be More Open with Your Kids

Having a more honest, ongoing, and open conversation with your child is a great idea to know what is happening in their digital space. It will help kids understand that no matter what happens, they can tell you everything without any hesitation. With this, you can also educate them about all the safety measures they need to take to protect themselves.

Read More:

• Is TikTok All Video Necessary Or Not in 2024?
• Is TikTok Getting Banned? Maybe [2024]
• What Is Nudge On TikTok And How To Use It? – Thunderclap

What Parents Must Know Before Their Kids Starts Using TikTok?

Before the kids start using TikTok, there are some things that parents must understand. So, here they are-

#1. Fame Is Alluring, But Not for Everyone

People who are active on social media or doing it professionally always want to get famous for their monetary advantage. It can be alluring for your kids as well, and they might go beyond what they should to generate income from TikTok.

Being on this vulnerable stage this might impact their mental health in the long run. So, parents must ensure that they only use TikTok as a fun, entertaining tool and nothing else.

#2. TikTok Challenges Can Be Dangerous

Some TikTok challenges are good and fun to recreate. But, there are many dangerous challenges that your kid may encounter while using TikTok. Even though the actual creator put a disclaimer that the challenges must be done under supervision, kids often overlook these warnings.

So, before they start using TikTok, have a conversation with them about being attentive while doing a TikTok challenge.

#3. TikTok Has an Age Limit

All parents should know that TikTok has an age limit of 13 years, meaning TikTok is inappropriate for kids below 13 years. So, no matter how much your child requests, do not allow them to have TikTok. After 13, they can open an account with all the safety features mode on.

#4. TikTok Collects Kids’ Information

Even if you set your kid’s TikTok profile to private or use safety features, TikTok will still store your child’s information. Online hackers may use that for unethical practices. TikTok’s policy clearly states that they share the users’ information with their team members for technology support functions, business purposes, and professional services.

#5. Peer Pressure Is Not Good for Kids

Competition is everywhere now, making it challenging for some people to cope with the thing. So, children may get sucked into the peer pressure to make better TikTok content which is not suitable for them.

To stay ahead of their rivals on TikTok, some kids often participate in challenges that may harm their health. So, being a parent, you need to let your kids know that they do not have to participate in all challenges.

Source [Entertainment·WHYS]

Final Thoughts

TikTok offers a creative space that users can use to showcase their talents, but it comes with justified concerns for parents. There is no denying that if a kid uses this social media platform appropriately, they may learn several educational things as well. So, parents must help their kids know how to use TikTok responsibly.