Do you allow ticktok ?

[Orquid9]

And how old are your teens? Do you have any restriction on it?

I've said no from the off. Kids didn't get phones until Year 7. Now in Year 8 and I've finally relented and said yes. I check TikTok regularly so I can get a sense of what they've been watching - it's all based on what the app thinks they will like. I've found nothing dodgy. Just make up videos and cat videos mainly!!!

Thank you. DC is 15 so not as young; maybe I should give the more freedom. I allow it but limit it to 2 hours per day

I don't allow tiktok though he does have YouTube.

14 in year 9 and only has access to WhatsApp and YouTube kids. Seems to do okay and we haven’t had any issues thus far. Definitely won’t be getting instagram or tik tok, but to be fair to her hasn’t asked, doesn’t seem that bothered and has plenty of friends, so might be a fortunate social group thing.

DS is 13 nearly 14 not allowed it at all luckily he doesn’t want it anyway he likes to go on YouTube

They can use YouTube to watch TikTok content FYI.

My almost 14yo doesn't have any social media beyond WhatsApp, and I get a notification for everything he downloads. That said, I'm under no illusion that he doesn't have access to things that other kids are allowed, it's pretty much impossible to keep them completely away from it.

I absolutely love tiktok myself. My youngest is 7 and he isn’t on tiktok but he watches the videos. We watch them together and he does some videos with me. Or we go on TikTok live. It’s fun. I don’t have a problem with it. Snapchat on the other hand is a no

I have a tween we have already discussed he won't have any social media. He has monitored acess to WhatsApp on a old phone and YouTube it's all very intentioned use rather than doom scrolling or for boredom. Last night we used youtube for baking. It's not all doom and gloom but if most adults struggle with phone addiction then children really need boundaries and guidelines.

They are trying to ban the use of social media for under 16s here in the UK the same as Australia.
Its the shorts that are the worst things for their brain. It's rewiring our dopamine receptors and negatively impacting our ability to concentrate and focus. I know from my own phone use how difficult it can be so I'm really keen to help my children navigate it in the healthiest way.

My 16 year old has it
no restrictions
i I hope we have enough discussions at home that are open and honest that he would identify anything concerning

My Dd is 14. She has (closely monitored) WhatsApp

Mine are 10 and 13 and aren’t allowed TikTok. The eldest has tried to argue her case a few times, because apparently everyone else in the world has it and now she’s 13 she thinks that automatically grants her the right to have it because thats what the minimum age is for those apps, but we’ve not relented. Although I’m not naive enough to think she hasn’t watched it on friends phones etc, I feel that is a bit different to having access to it all the time on her own devices.

Snapchat and instagram aren't allowed either. We do allow YouTube and WhatsApp, both closely monitored. I don’t feel they need anything else and don’t fancy adding to my ‘workload’ in that respect by adding other platforms to the mix as well.

They’ve got their whole lives to doom scroll social media if they wish, I’m not in any rush to allow them. I don’t trust how kids behave towards each other on these platforms and would rather she not be involved in it, not until she’s more mature, which she hasn’t shown that she is yet. Apparently I’m super strict but that’s fine, hopefully they’ll understand and thank me later.

If you go into tiktok settings you can adjust content preferences by excluding any videos with such hashtags you want to filter be it war, protests, religion, politics, etc.

No, mine aren't allowed it. They're 12, 15, and 16.
They have WhatsApp but only allowed in group chats where they personally know every person. Other than that, no social media.

I think that's a lot of freedom! Two hours a day on TikTok!

How much will you suggest? We are re evaluating this. We started with 15min, then 1 hour, lately 2; however she mentioned she is falling behind at school so perhaps going back to 30min. She mades videos, chat with her friends on it, watch videos.

Ohh the joys of social media, smart phones and teens, I never know what to do.

Just read that tiktok shorten attention spams. Also that tiktok limit under 18 to one hour.

Two hours a day on TikTok is a lot and it definitely has a negative impact on attention spans.

It is a minefield though, could you say no SM during the week and allow a couple of hours on the weekends?

My dd was 16yo before she was allowed anything other than WhatsApp.

Thank you, will reduce this again.

Well done to you to restrict this until 16, a friend of mine did the same. I am too soft.

I need to get stronger, stick to my guns. We started with 15min but she has started requesting more so increase it slowly.

Well done. I admire parents who have managed this.