Australia has banned TikTok for kids under 16
What’s going to happen here? And where are you on this? I personally think it’s an abomination! 
RoxyAnn
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Hmm…at the risk of someone jumping down my throat, honestly, I’m not sure how to feel about it. I think TikTok has a lot of negatives to it. A lot of kids are spending hours and hours on TikTok, addicted to mindless garbage. I think there are a lot of stupid videos, like these challenges that may end up harming kids or causing death. At the same time, there are some good, educational videos that are age-appropriate on there. A few years ago, I watched one about a young man who was living in a historic residence in the UK. Some are fun, like adults that teach kids how to sing or play an instrument, or they have dance-offs, flash mobs, parrots singing, rats racing through a maze, etc.
Ultimately, I guess it’s up to each parent to determine what they consider age-appropriate for their kids, but the problem then is when parents fail to parent and let their kids sit on there all day without supervision, when they may be exposed to something disturbing. Then what? I am also concerned about how a pedophile could start messaging kids on there that are commenting on a TikTok story and a parent may not be aware. I think that is my biggest concern. Kids just aren’t street smart until they reach maturity, to consider someone they are talking to isn’t actually a kid, but an adult pretending to be a kid and with malicious intent.
At the end of the day, kids can still bypass TikTok age restrictions and bans by claiming they’re 18 or older when they create an account, so how will this be enforced? My kid is 18, so any bans for underage kids would not apply to our household anyway, assuming this made its way to the U.S. I’m curious to see how others feel about it, especially those with younger kids who would fall into this ban. Are there any pros you can find with this, or only cons (or vice versa)?
I agree that kids can fake their ages. But I’m not sure about the street smart part. I think kids are a lot smarter than we give credit for. Its the age old youth are going to hell in a hand basket! Just as our parents referred to us as kids.
I wouldn’t let my kid on it, and I’m way too frustrated by all these dangerous challenges where kids endanger themselves, either by what they do or by whom they “meet” on line. Parents often have no idea how to handle it or even what’s going on. We always grew up with parents saying, “So, if someone told you to jump off the roof, would you do it?” TikTok and other social media sites is that they give people ideas way beyond the “roof to jump off” and also use fake info, attract trolls, and so on.
My concern with TikTok is the connection with the Chinese government. TikTok was banned from the phones of federal employees some time ago. The bill before Congress dealt with TikTok being banned unless it’s sold by its parent company to a private company with no connection to China, given the Chinese sources of misinformation and disinformation and possible attempts at election interference. China is a trading partner but not a political friend/ally, and their spying is legendary and concerning. If data on TikTok subscribers and access to their phones/data is available to the Chinese government, that’s a massive concern. And I don’t think we can count on 20-somethings and teens and “influencers” looking for their 15 minutes of fame to make good decisions. They can’t buy liquor until 21 or rent a car until 25, so putting whatever they want on line is a risk.
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