TikTok

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Do all parents of teenagers have a deep hatred for this app? Do you have boundaries for it?

My daughter (13) doesn’t post much on it, but she’d have her phone surgically attached to her hand if she could and would literally just watch it all day

I genuinely do worry about kids (not just mine), being totally addicted to it. It’s almost like a drug. Also, the sexualised dancing and disgusting lyrics. I watched panorama which confirmed my thoughts on it.

Wondering how you cope with it with similar aged teenagers and beyond

Hate tiktok. Told our 12 year old daughter she could have it. Became concerned about content and more so about its addictive nature. Removed it which caused arguments for a few weeks, but she has now stopped asking for it.

My 12 year old daughter has it, I have it on my phone as well and can see what videos she posts and what videos she liked. She’s quite open about the stuff she sees on there and there are some really weird people but I don’t worry about her having it.

I love TikTok and I'm 32. Yes there's some dodgy stuff on there (I've even learnt some things at my age haha) but there's also a lot of creative, educational stuff on there too. Some people on there are going to learn tech video skills they can use in later life

Yes I have a deep hatred of this app.

Yes I have boundaries. Youngest is not allowed it and won’t be for some time.

After much in depth discussion and reflection oldest has removed it for the time being.

I also think it is really toxic for children and teenagers for all the reasons you have mentioned.

Social media is such a cause of difficultly in our home, even my determination to stick to the official age restrictions makes me the most evil mother ever and I am apparently the ONLY mum who pays any attention to age restrictions. Tiktok is one of the absolute worst imo. I am trying to work out the least worst one so I can at least give the youngest something at age 13. Any suggestions welcome for least toxic social media platforms for teens!

I thought I had deleted it but later found that: she could log on through web browser/ online account
And also she would regularly re download and then delete before giving me the phone in the evenings.
I’ve now put a block on the website and removed access to her App Store but I’m sure other things now will pop up that I have to deal with. It’s a constant my daily battle I worry I’m too controlling but seriously can’t believe such free access to social media is deemed acceptable for 13 year olds.

I installed it to look at it but it's not great, my teenager deleted it as it's boring, they prefer Instagram.

My 13.5 year old dd has it, I have only recently allowed it. She mainly watches videos of cute animals. My 17 year old also uses it and keeps an eye out what her younger sister is looking at.

I don't think it's any worse than other SM. I'm still not allowing dd to have Instagram because in some ways that's worse with the whole perfection thing.

I don’t know when trends young girls want to follow are posing languidly with your tongue sticking out or twerking I think there is a bit of an issue.
It also started here with innocent slime videos etc but quickly can spin if you’re not on it all the time, and it is exhausting always having to have that to also monitor!

My dc have it, they don't post, they follow certain accounts, approved by me (generally art stuff) and are only allowed to go on the 'following' page, not the 'for you' page.

There's been no problems with it here, so far.

I hate it and increasingly I am concerned about my 13 year old on it. I'm actually sitting here wondering how on earth I have got into the situation where I feel quite helpless against it. Lockdown has made it worse because of the lack of things to keep is all busy.

My children are younger but I hate this app. Would you believe there are 8/9 year olds who have it? What goes through some parents heads?

Mine is limited to two hours on there a day. Most days she doesn’t get bear that. I hate the endless scrolling. She does make some really cool videos etc her friends though, which I think is a positive.

I don't hate it until my teenager involves me in a tik tok dance routine. Sometimes both DH and I get roped in.

We don't allow DS to access Tik Tok/Snapchat/Instagram etc. He's 14 and fine without them

I have blocked it for DS (12). I think it was having a negative impact on his mental health.

Worries me a lot less than Instagram or other sites.

I’ve found it to be a lot safer for DD too - given (eg) no one is able to message each other.

Yes I hate this app too!
Make sure to sit your daughter down and remind her that what she sees online isn’t realistic as a lot of teenagers feel pressured to look or act like the people the see online and therefore pressure themselves into not eating, doing bad things etc

When my dd started secondary school and we went for her interview they asked what SM platforms she was on, she isn't on any and they were visibly relieved. Privately they told me they recommended keeping them off as long as possible and also not allow them WhatsApp as the bullying that goes on on that particular app because a very bad problem. I listened and discouraged it gently. She's 14 and shows no interest at all, which is a relief and I know she's not secretly on them because she'd tell me. It's not forbidden but she's knows the problems that come with SM.