Technology is indeed evolving! With the fast-paced changes in the tech industry, various mobile applications have been developed. Mamas and Papas may not be familiar yet with one of the frequently used apps today – TikTok. However, you do not have to worry because we are here to provide you with a quick introduction of what TikTok is. You will also discover its features and gauge if this is one of the apps you can allow your little bean to use!
What is Tiktok?
TikTok is a social media app where users can create videos and share them with their friends or on the platform in general. These videos vary and can literally be anything – from lip-synching to top songs, or dancing the current trending moves, or even sharing a day in one’s life captured in the form of a video (Thurrott, 2019). The app is also considered to be a social network as it is a space for sharing user-generated content. The videos can be classified easier with the help of hashtags* that are related to the topic or subject of the video.
For most people today, TikTok is frequently visited during their free time to scroll through the different videos that are based on their preferences. With the help of technology, the videos that show up in their application are based on the TikTok algorithm which is a system that can determine the videos based on your recently viewed content and is in line with your interests (Ashbridge, 2022).
*Hashtags are words that are inputted to correlate with the subject of the video. For example, when an individual posted a video of him or her dancing, they can put the hashtag “#dance” or “#choreography”.
Entering The TikTok World
Creating a TikTok account is very similar to how other social networking applications require a user to successfully enter their platform. For TikTok, users may simply sign up by using any of the following: a verified phone number, an email address, or a third-party account like Facebook or Instagram.
Once finished, the user can now explore the application by utilizing the search bar and typing the category they wish to view on. Aside from that, since TikTok is also used by different personalities and content creators, users can also give their profiles a visit and scroll through their content. Another way to discover videos is by using your phone contacts to find people that you already know. Since your contacts are linked, your friends that have TikTok accounts of their own will be easily accessible on your end.
Can Your Little One Use TikTok?
TikTok has a certain policy where the user must be at least 13 years old to create an account and use the basic features of the app. However, it is believed that younger beans can still access the app with enough supervision from their Mamas and Papas.
It is also a good thing to note that TikTok recently introduced the Family Pairing mode last year. This allows the parents of the little ones to link their account to their kid’s account. With this, parents can set limitations in terms of their daily viewing time, or even put the account into Restricted Mode to avoid inappropriate content (Common Sense Media, 2022).
Next Best Move for Mamas and Papas
Since TikTok is a social media app, there are a lot of worries that Mamas and Papas have when it comes to exposing their beans to different content and sharing their data. It is within their discretion if they wish to let their beans to create content or videos as well. There are a lot of different ways to manage their usage in TikTok, given that there are features that will help in filtering available content. Supervision is also a key to a safer viewing behavior of your little ones.
So go ahead and try creating your own TikTok account, Mamas and Papas! Don’t forget that edamama is on TikTok too! Our handle is @edamama.ph or you can directly go to our account by clicking this link: https://www.tiktok.com/@edamama.ph
Follow our other social media channels too:
References
Ashbridge, Z. (2022). How the TikTok algorithm works: Everything you need to know. Search Engine Land. https://searchengineland.com/how-tiktok-algorithm-works-390229#h-what-is-the-tiktok-algorithm
Parents’ ultimate guide to tiktok. (2022). Common Sense Media. https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/parents-ultimate-guide-to-tiktok
Thurrot, S. (2019). What is Tiktok? And is it safe? A guide for clueless parents. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/what-tiktok-guide-clueless-parents-ncna1066466
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