Is TikTok bad? This is a question which has underpinned the platform’s growth, ever since its launch – in much the same way as Instagram, Facebook, and other apps have ignited the same debates and controversies.
There are those who would argue that TikTok and other social media apps are addictive and encourage users to exhibit harmful comparisons between themselves and others. Similarly, the addictive nature of scrolling is said to be harmful for daily routines and for the overall health and wellbeing of users. And of course, we cannot overlook the TikTok challenges which, in some cases are fun and light-hearted, but in other cases are dangerous and potentially fatal.
In this article, we’ve pulled together a quick list of potential issues to be aware of – so that you can use TikTok in a safe way.
The Biggest Concerns About TikTok
- Privacy concerns as a result of the ownership of TikTok falling under a company that has direct links with the Chinese government
- Decreased attention spans as a result of the short form videos that TikTok promotes. Younger users are said to be potentially affected when it comes to concentrating for longer periods in other areas of life, as a result of only engaging with very short clips on TikTok
- Potential censorship issues across the app
- Dangerous TikTok challenges which are often undertaken by younger users who are unaware of the dangers. In March 2024, at the time of writing, a young boy has just died in the UK after taking part in a dangerous challenge shared on TikTok
- Potential issues around data collection and sharing outside of the app, and vulnerabilities when it comes to personal security with location tagging
Using TikTok Safely
There are countless features in place which have been designed to make TikTok a safe and enjoyable online platform on which to spend time as a user.
These include the ability to block and restrict other users, the ability to set your profile to private, and the fact that content can be excluded from sharing. Users can also block certain themes and topics from appearing on their feed, with parental controls available for those managing the accounts of younger users – restricting age-specific content from being viewed or shared. And the community guidelines at play across the app mean that TikTok is constantly regulating the content that users post to ensure it falls within their rules and regulations.
Finally, TikTok has a comprehensive reporting system through which users, specific posts, and generic themes can all be reported as concerning by any user. This helps TikTok to keep the platform safe and enjoyable for everyone.
We hope this information helps to keep your mind at ease when using TikTok. As a social app, there are always risks and concerns – but TikTok has taken plenty of steps to mitigate these risks and protect every user.
