TikTok Launches New Parental Controls to Keep Kids Safe

TikTok is launching new parental controls designed to keep kids safe while they use the app. And with TikTok being very popular amongst teenagers, the new Family Safety Mode should help ease the minds of worried parents the world over.

TikTok Only Appeals to Teenagers

TikTok has grown to be one of the most popular apps in the world. And unlike the other giant apps, such as Instagram and Snapchat, TikTok appeals to a very specific demographic. Essentially, kids love it, and adults generally don’t understand it.

With its 1 billion users being mostly children and young adults, TikTok needs to do all it can to protect its userbase. The company is slowly but surely adding measures to protect youngsters using the platform. And the latest are new parental controls.

What Is TikTok’s Family Safety Mode?

As outlined in a post on the TikTok Newsroom, TikTok has launched two new features. The first, called Family Safety Mode, is an amalgamation of various parental controls. The second, called Screen Time Management in Feed, reminds users to use TikTik responsibly.

TiKTok is for
a) kids
b) millennials in an early midlife crisis grasping for relevance

I’m here for it

— Badflower (@Badflower) February 17, 2020

Family Safety Mode links a parent’s TikTok account to their child’s TikTok account. And, once enabled, a parent will be able to control how long their child can spend on TikTok, limit who can send direct messages, and restrict certain types of content.

While most teenagers will not like the idea of their parents controlling their use of TikTok, this may be a necessary step for certain kids. Especially as even some adults seem to be addicted to their smartphones and the apps that reside on them.

Meanwhile, Screen Time Management in Feed reminds teenagers themselves not to overdo it on TikTok. Videos from popular creators pop up in users’ feeds encouraging them to take a break from TikTok and do something else more productive instead.

Learn More About How to Use TikTok

TikTok has initially launched Family Safety Mode and Screen Time Management in Feed in the UK. However, the company is promising to roll both features out to additional markets in the coming weeks. It isn’t yet clear whether or not that includes the US.

Whether you’re one of the few teenagers who hasn’t yet got into TikTok, or a parent keen to learn more about the phenomenon, we’re here to help. For parents, here’s our guide to TikTok and how it works, and for teenagers, here’s how to get more TikTok followers.

Read the full article: TikTok Launches New Parental Controls to Keep Kids Safe

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