TikTok Trust And Safety Issues Parents Must Know About

Social media platforms come with a risk of harmful issues such as exposure to inappropriate content and communication with potential predators. Therefore, it's not unusual for parents to have questions about TikTok, especially since almost 20 per cent of its users in Singapore are below the age of 18.

The social media platform was the world's most downloaded app from 2020-2022 but slipped to second place behind Instagram in 2023. There's no denying that it is an entertaining app regardless of your age – it's easy to spend hours lost in videos of the latest dance trends, animals up to cute shenanigans or even recipes of delicious foods you plan to try one day (but, let's face it, probably never will). 

The app's popularity has not come without controversy, though. Think of viral challenges that have gone wrong or teens getting affected by body image issues as a result of influencers hawking weight-loss products. Plus, there's also the "echo chamber effect", where children could only be exposed to what the app's algorithm thinks they want to see, depending on what they have previously viewed.

So should parents worry about TikTok trust and safety issues?

Answer: It depends on how you use it and what measures you take to ensure your child's safety. Associate Professor Jiow Hee Jhee, programme leader for the Digital Communications and Integrated Media (DCIM) degree programme at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), says that, just like on any other social media platform, parents should be wary of the content children are consuming and the contacts that children are engaging with.

“Generally, people should be mindful of the content they share on social media,” he adds. “Firstly, it may reveal sensitive information about themselves which they don’t want. Secondly, the content may come across as offensive to viewers. And children are still too young to be able to discern such things, and as such, it is best for parents to guide them.”

Does TikTok protect children, and is it enough? 

TikTok does have terms of service and community guidelines that set rules and standards for using the app. For example, users must be at least 13 years or older to use TikTok. However, while there is no requirement for users to prove their age beyond stating their date of birth, which is easy to fake, its moderators can flag any suspected underage accounts and send them for review. Also, the default privacy setting for all registered accounts ages 13-15 is set to private. For such accounts, only someone who the user approves as a follower can view their videos.

There are parental controls too. Family pairing allows a parent to link their TikTok account to their teen's and set controls. This means parents can customise safety settings that are appropriate for their child's age. 

Associate Professor Jiow acknowledges that these features help but aren't always perfect: “Parental controls help and parents would need to know how to set them up properly. However, at times, unwanted content may slip through the cracks, for example, if the keyword filter did not catch disguised content.”

Furthermore, there are other potential pitfalls that parents need to be aware of:

The For You page

Asher Low, Executive Director and Senior Social Worker at Limitless, a non-profit organisation that works with youths, says there was a youth who shared that her TikTok For You Page is full of dark, depressing and suicide-related content. The For You Page, or FYP, is the first feed you see upon launching the app - the feed is typically derived through a user's interests and frequently viewed content.

“She shared that as much as she feels comforted she can relate to the content, she also feels more encouraged to harm herself and would usually feel more depressed and suicidal and may even lead to her spiralling with negative thoughts after consuming these videos,” he explains.

Asher reveals that most youths usually feel scared or worried about what they see online and might discuss it with their peers, caregivers or a trusted adult. But there are also youths that find it relatable or even enjoyable to view disturbing content (such as death, self-harming or gore) and might even feel encouraged to try such things either on themselves or others. 

“We hope that youths will be open to sharing about the content they watch and how they feel afterwards with someone they trust. Youths can also decide to report, mute or block certain creators or content if they find themselves affected negatively by it, limit their time online or delete their social media account if they feel unsafe,” he adds.

Presence of predators

Another potential danger on TikTok is exposure to predators, which Associate Professor Jiow admits are “tricky to spot, especially for young children”. 

“One tip is to ask children to beware when predators want to continue a conversation on another messaging platform that parents have no sight of,” he advises. “But the best way is still for children to be accountable to parents for the contacts that they interact with online.”

Addiction, body image issues, and cyberbullying

Wesley Sng, a senior counsellor at a local university, recognises that TikTok (like every other social media platform) is designed “to keep users engaged and on the app for as long as possible”.

“What teens like about TikTok is that it gives them creativity to create content and to upload their ideas,” he says. “TikTok's algorithm is based on several factors, including user interactions, video information and device and account settings. There is concern for teens to be addicted to TikTok or use it to promote unrealistic beauty standards, leading to cyberbullying as well.”

While social media usage is fraught with risk, Asher assures us that it's not all doom and gloom. "On the positive side, many of [the youths] also share TikTok videos with us that they resonate with, sometimes because these videos articulate their feelings better than they’re able to themselves. Many find comfort in content that reflects their experiences and helps them feel understood and acknowledged,” he explains. 

Is your teen affected by social media?

Asher notes that there are signs parents can look out for, to know their child is distressed or affected by social media. A clear indication is when it disrupts their engagement in other areas of life. The child might exhibit changes in their mood or behaviour, such as increased irritability or secrecy regarding online activities – this could look like a child snapping at a parent that tries to redirect their focus away from their phone, or putting excessive effort into hiding their devices.

“If a once sociable and outgoing child suddenly starts being more withdrawn and quiet, this might be cause for concern that they are being adversely affected by their time on social media,” says Asher. “It is also recommended to keep a lookout for signs of distress or anxiety when using social media or discussing online interactions. These signs could manifest as sighs, eye rolls, tense body language or verbal expressions of worry or discomfort. 

“Another concerning change would be a noticeable decline in interest in offline activities and relationships that they otherwise would enjoy. Sudden changes in sleep patterns and appetite could also be signs that the child is struggling to regulate their social media usage,” he adds. 

And if a child is being cyberbullied, Asher says they might start to show reluctance to use their devices or suddenly start to avoid certain online spaces. Initially, the child might conceal their reasons for avoiding social media, possibly due to feelings of shame or embarrassment associated with being targeted by cyberbullies.

Wesley urges parents to watch out for teens who have exhibited unusual behaviour or a change of lifestyle or habits at home and in school. “Participation in dangerous social media challenges, screen time addiction and teens being connected to bullies or predators is why so many parents bring their teens to counselling for practical and necessary treatment,” he says. 

How you can help your child

Parents should work on improving parent-child communication so that your child is more willing to come to you, should they encounter any issues online. Associate Professor Jiow suggests sharing about your own social media usage with the kids and tagging them in posts if appropriate. It's also important to open up about your feelings about events in your life and understand how your child communicates.

Some other tips on social media usage:

1. Journey with your child in their social media usage. Don’t just help them with the set-up (at the start), but continually check on how they are journeying through it, as issues may crop up along the way.
2. Get the community involved. Grandparents, relatives and siblings can sometimes be a good source of information in noticing healthy or unhealthy usage, so that parents can guide accordingly. Friends and colleagues may also be a helpful resource on technological issues, such as understanding social media’s affordances.
3. Parents will make mistakes. Don’t be discouraged, learn from them and move on.