Parents have more control over their children’s use of the TikTok app, after the company added a "Family Pairing" setting that links parents’ accounts to their teenagers’ accounts.
The setting allows parents to control the time their child spends on the app, restrict the content they can see and decide who can send private messages to their child’s account.
As of April 30, the company has disabled direct messages for accounts registered to users under age 16. While these features are live in the United Kingdom, they will come to the United States market over the next few months.
This additional control couldn’t have come at a better time for parents. With schools closed and extracurricular activities cancelled thanks to the COVID-19 crisis, more teens are joining and spending time on apps like TikTok. Deseret News reported that TikTok was the top download worldwide in the first quarter of 2020, according to Social Media Today.
While the app is best known for its content – user-generated short videos, often dance routines and comedy – there is more to this program than what you see at first glance.
It helps youths stay connected with their friends and sharpens tech skills, but increased use of the app can create issues with unmonitored teen access and communication. Lack of parental oversight creates potential for vulnerable teens to fall prey to individuals with nefarious motives.
“More than ever, families are turning to internet platforms like TikTok to stay entertained, informed, and connected,” wrote TikTok’s Jeff Collins in the announcement. “That was, of course, happening before COVID-19, but it has only accelerated since the outbreak began and social distancing brought families closer together.”
Parents don’t have to worry that kids are losing the ability to communicate, particularly if they use apps like TikTok and others with caution.
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