Is TikTok frying your child's brain? The short answer is it's complicated.
The Chinese social media behemoth TikTok (DouYin) was launched by tech company ByteDance in 2016 and is currently one of the most lucrative social media apps worldwide. In roughly six years, the "LipSync-Videos" featured on the platform has reached an estimated 800 million global monthly smartphone users while earning approximately $11.04 billion in annual revenue.
Fashioned by the traditional social networking model, DouYin allows users to create, share, comment, download, and like videos. However, the conversation as to whether TikTok targets a youthful demographic requires clarity, as the majority of US-based customers are between 10-29 years of age (62%). Touting impressive gains as the most downloaded app in America (trailing only Disney), an average TikToker opens the streaming platform eight times daily and spends 80 minutes viewing videos.
Is your kiddo a TikToker?
A. Yes
B. No
C. I'm unsure
In complete transparency, TikTok is not frying your youngster's brain like the egg in that controversial "War on Drugs" public service announcement from the 1980s. However, researchers at the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) warn that although DouYin has surpassed all popular video apps, "most people understand very little about how TikTok works or the potential dangers of the platform."1
In December 2022, CCDH clinicians conducted a research study to assess the frequency of distressing body images and mental health videos promoted by TikTok feeds. During the analysis, experts set up new TikTok accounts in four countries at the minimum age requirement for users (13 years old). The results of the study reported a shocking cumulative feed timeline for the experimental encounters:
An aggressive algorithm based on likes, comments, and interactive user features drives the endless "For You" scroll. CCDH scientists report, "The results are every parent's nightmare: young people's feeds are bombarded with harmful, harrowing content that can have a significant cumulative impact on their understanding of the world around them, and their physical and mental health."2
To DouYin's credit, Vanessa Pappas (Chief Operating Officer) claims that safety is the utmost priority for the organization, as well as transparency and accountability. Yet the algorithm originator, US-based computer tech corporation Oracle, appears tight-lipped and unbothered by mounting reform concerns.
The TikTok mission "To inspire creativity and bring joy" was revealed as a "toxic environment" for its youngest users with a significantly detrimental impact on vulnerable populations. Federal regulation for online safety and algorithm transparency remains crucial in mitigating distressing content on the social media platform. As the wheels of bureaucracy slowly turn, we suggest leaning into the TikTok conversation with your child while incorporating safeguards to protect your family.
What do you think about U.S. legislation targeting the TikTok platform? Is it long overdue or heavy-handed government oversight? Share your opinion below...
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