What is TikTok
Most teens and preteens want to be on TikTok, the social network that already has over 500 million downloads. For many it’s one of the first reasons to want a mobile, along with writing messages to their friends and having an Instagram profile. Want to know more about this application?
The TikTok application has been designed as a social network, where users share edited videos. It allows them to follow their favorite profiles, indicate the videos they like, and post comments, just like on any other social network. And as on any other social network, hashtags are used to viralize the videos created, which can reach millions of views.
Why do you like TikTok so much?
As with other social networks and applications, children have established their own way of using TikTok, and have turned the platform into a mainly youthful territory. Most of them take advantage of the tools offered by this app to post videos accompanied by their favorite music, in which they choreograph in front of the camera. But they also make videos with a touch of humor, imitate small audio recordings from TV shows, or record jokes with friends or family. Sometimes they record themselves explaining their thoughts or reflections.
These are short videos, often just a few seconds, which are recorded from the mobile and edited from the same application. They can be combined with music and add a multitude of filters and effects. Therefore, children only need a mobile phone with a camera and an Internet connection to share their creations.
As they have a social network structure, they create challenges and fashions that quickly become viralized. For example, repeating the same choreography or challenge in their videos, encouraging other users to reproduce the idea. TikTok also has a specific function for ‘duets’: videos that combine the videos of two or more different users, in which they play the other user’s video or react to it. This is another way to ‘respond’ to other users’ creations, gaining popularity.
The usual claim of these social applications is not very different from any other teenage fad: “I want to be on TikTok because people my age are there”. It’s another space where they can interact and meet people, where they can also meet people who are references for them. We can find celebrities from the world of music, television or cinema, as well as influencers who have gained recognition thanks to TikTok, YouTube or Instagram.
The key to getting them hooked?
We must remember that social networks are designed to please. Filters that make videos look attractive, an opportunity for unlimited entertainment and, above all, a mechanism to express social recognition. Each like or follower they get provides them with a reinforcement, generates a feeling of satisfaction and encourages them to continue with their activity on the network.
Is it appropriate for minors?
If we follow the law, the application recommends that users should be at least 13 years old. But in Spain, according to the RGPD, in order to register, without the need for parental consent, minors must be at least 14 years old. As it happens in almost all social networks, it is easy to vary the age to skip this filter when creating your profile. Therefore, it is important that adults are aware of whether the child intends to use TikTok and convey the need for their permission.
This type of application carries some risks for children and teenagers just because it is a social network:
Loss of privacy: Children are not always aware of the importance of protecting their personal information, and can easily show more in their videos than they would like. Once they share a video, anyone can watch it or even download and broadcast it through other applications.
Contact with strangers: these types of applications are a space where they can interact and meet people, communicating through comments or private messages. However, anyone can create a false and attractive profile to attract the attention of a minor.
Inappropriate content: publications and social pressure can favour the promotion of sexist and/or dangerous attitudes to health, as well as the promotion of unattainable reference models. For example, videos in which teenagers are shown jumping over moving cars, or musical choreography with a certain sexual connotation. In addition, it is common for some users to use inappropriate language in comments or videos.
Overuse: the application allows you to switch between videos indefinitely, and more active users update with daily posts, which puts some pressure on their followers if they want to ‘keep up to date’. On the other hand, creating the videos requires time to rehearse, several recordings and time to edit the publication until the desired quality is achieved.
Cyber-bullying: public and private comments are possible on TikTok, and criticism among teenagers can be cruel or excessive. A video that receives tens or hundreds of such comments can be detrimental to your self-esteem and emotional development. In extreme cases, bullies may post humiliating videos about other people, making fun of or ridiculing the protagonists.
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