Submitted by Marshall Walker on
TikTok is one of the hottest apps for teens right now. Made famous by influencers like PewDiePie, TikTok has replaced Vine and Musical.ly as the go to short form video service. So what is TikTok?
It's an app that allows users to create and share short videos, mostly involving lip synching. Users can follow trends or attempt challenges created by the TikTok community. TikTok official mission is "to capture and present the world’s creativity, knowledge, and precious life moments, directly from the mobile phone. TikTok enables everyone to be a creator, and encourages users to share their passion and creative expression through their videos."
You're supposed to be 13 years or older to use TikTok (sorry no tweens) which means the app falls under Apple's 12+ App Store rating. Parents can restrict content based on App Store ratings in the Screen Time section of the Settings app on a child's device. Parents can contact TikTok at privacy@tiktok.com to report any children under 13 who have registered an account on the app.
Videos can be shared publicly or privately. You can follow these steps to make an account private. Private accounts can only be viewed by other approved accounts. You can also see your block list (How to Block as User on TikTok) and find other controls on the Privacy and Safety page.
Users can report other users for inappropriate behavior or bullying/harassment by tapping the user's name, then by tapping the 3 dots in the upper right hand corner of that user's profile page. Tap "Report" then select your reason for reporting that user. You can report a user for:- Pretending to be someone they're not
- Inappropriate content
- Inappropriate profile info
- or "Other"
You can report inappropriate comments on your video or another user's video by tapping the comment, then tapping "Report."
TikTok also suggests these resources for parents: