Greenhill Primary School
Gallwn Gyda'n Gilydd Together We Can
Welcome
Social Media Use
Dear parents and carers,
It has come to our attention that some children are using social media sites, such as TikTok and Instagram, despite being younger than the age restrictions for these platforms. We ask parents and carers to closely and carefully monitor all platforms that children may access.
TikTok, despite an age limit of 13 years, appears to be popular, so we thought it wise to share some information and guidance:
- TikTok enables users to access a range of videos and recordings including some with inappropriiate content, such as swearing or sexual content.
- It can be a good idea to sit in on some of your child's TikTok sessions to get insight into what they're doing on the platform, the content they're consuming, the videos they make, and whether their behaviour, and that of their peer group, is appropriate.
TikTok offers several privacy control settings and safety features for younger users, including:
- Push notifications will be disabled after 9pm for kids aged 13 to 15 and 10pm for teenagers aged 16 to 17
- Children under 16 cannot access direct messages
- When someone aged under 16 publishes their first video, a pop-up message will be displayed explaining their privacy options
- However, there's no age-verification process, so a child under 13 could sign up for a TikTok account without being checked.
Can I monitor my child's TikTok?
You can search for and follow your child's TikTok account to see what they post. However, you can't see which videos your child is watching, which accounts they interact with or the comments or messages they send or receive.
You may want to consider sharing an account with your child through TikTok's Family Pairing feature, so you can see what they're watching and posting.
It can be a good idea to have conversations about social media and your concerns while also asking them what they like to search for and what they enjoy watching.
TikTok privacy settings are key to keeping your child's account private and online activity safe. For example: Private account Making your child's account private is an effective way to prevent them from contacting strangers online. Any videos they share will only be seen by people they have approved as a follower. You can make a TikTok account private by selecting the three-dots on your child's profile page in the top right corner. Then on the Settings and Privacy page, select Privacy and Safety. You'll then be able to toggle the switch to select Private Account. But keep in mind that even with a private account, usernames, profile photos and bios are still visible to everyone on the platform.
Privacy settings
When you set your child's account to private, you can also change other privacy features such as sending direct messages and allowing comments on your child's videos. Digital wellbeing TikTok has a password-protected digital wellbeing feature that alerts users if they use the app for over two hours. You can also switch on "restricted mode" to filter out unsuitable content.
What are parents' main concerns with TikTok?
- Parents have shared their concerns over offensive language being used in some of the videos posted on TikTok, making it unsuitable for young children.
- Many parents are understandably concerned about the idea of strangers connecting with their children on the app.
- With no formal age verification process, children under the age of 13 can sign up with a false age, or over 13s can sign up without their parent's knowledge.
Tips to keep your child safe on TikTok
Before you let your child loose on TikTok, check out these tips to ensure they always have a positive experience on the app.
- Talk to them about cyberbullying. Unfortunately, cyberbullying is prevalent on many social media platforms, including TikTok. Users can leave hurtful or inappropriate comments, so it's a good idea to talk about what to do if they experience cyberbullying or see others experience cyberbullying.
- Make their account private. To make a TikTok account private, tap on the three dots in the top corner of their account profile page, select Privacy and Settings and then Privacy and Safety from the options. You can then choose whether to have a "Private Account".
- Be aware of what is shared. Talk to your children about what is acceptable for them to post and what isn't. Encourage them to think carefully about everything they post and who might see it.
- Get to grips with the guidelines. Like most social media platforms, TikTok has community guidelines for what is and isn't acceptable on the app. Make sure you and your child have read them to know what is and isn't allowed.
- Know how to report and when. Make sure you know what is considered unacceptable behaviour and how to report users, videos or comments that are abusive or inappropriate.
Does TikTok have parental controls?
There are some parental controls on TikTok. While you can set time limits and content filters on your child's phone, you can use parental controls directly on their account. On your child's profile, tap the three dots in the top right and select Digital Wellbeing next to the umbrella icon. You can then choose which features you want to enable.
Screen Time Management: This limits time spent on the app to a maximum of two hours a day, but you can also limit it to 40 minutes if you prefer. Restricted Mode: This function blocks mature content, although children using the app on their own can still come across videos that aren't suitable for their age. Alternatively, there's the option of creating your own TikTok account and using Family Pairing to manage your child's account settings with your phone.
Finally, please be aware that the minimum age restriction for TikTok is 13.