Are your teens on TikTok?

You may be worried about their safety in this social media platform, and with short-form videos available in it from all parts of the world, it’s totally understandable. However, asking your teens to delete their account might not be the best move. After all, they find TikTok a source of entertainment and information, as well as their outlet for creativity, imagination, and connection with the global community.

But this doesn’t mean you should let your guard down against the potential risks the platform may bring.

We joined TikTok’s recent panel discussion, which underscored parents’ role in protecting their teens’ safety online. Here, we learned how you can keep your teens safe with TikTok’s in-app features, so keep reading!

Teens value their stage of exploration and independence, and they don’t like it when their parents hover over their activities online, right?

Family Pairing Tools, launched five years ago, allows you to link accounts as a way to supervise your teens’ use. One of its most useful feature is the Visibility on Followers, where you can see who they follow, who follows them, and who they’ve blocked. It’s a powerful tool for you to gain insight on your teen’s online interactions.

Equally useful is the Report Alerts feature, where your teen can opt to inform you a harmful or inappropriate content, allowing you to be more involved in your teens’ digital sphere.

Meanwhile, if you need to put a stop on your teen’s endless scrolling without actually confiscating their phones, the Time Away feature has got your back even on closed doors. With it, the app sends your teen a reminder for relaxation and rest, which can be recurring or based on a specific need. Neat, right?

What better way to reverse overstimulation than the Wind Down feature? After 10 PM, users under 16 years old will find their scrolling interrupted with calming prompts, to encourage rest and reflection just like how meditation works. According to TikTok, this is a “behavioral science-informed approach to digital wellness.”

You know how it goes – you click and watch one video, and the deluge of content under the same category appears on your feed. With Smart Keyword Filtering, your teen’s experience can be better customized through blocking specific phrases, topics, or hashtags in the For You Feed.

This way, unwanted or sensitive content can be filtered out, and your teen’s experience is much safer!

TikTok has also launched a For You Feed Educational Guide to help users better understand how their feed is curated and how they can personalize it responsibly. Think of this tool as a way to empower your teens to create an experience and adventure they’re very much willing to learn from!

It’s not a bad thing in itself that your teens live in an age where there is AI-generated content. What makes it a concern is when teens believe AI-generated content as fact at face value.

As a thoughtful step to curb misinformation, TikTok tags AI-generated content, which will largely help teens discriminate fact and fiction in the content they consume. This way, AI-generated content serves as springboards for family and school discussions and avenues to develop pattern recognition and critical thinking rather than solid sources of information.

Now here is where it gets more serious: Ever wonder what happens when your teens search for “suicide” on TikTok?

No, there won’t be any videos appearing on the app. Instead, users will be lead to a suicide prevention support page, in partnership with Philippine National Red Cross and National Center for Mental Health. Here, your teens will be given channels they can talk to and rely on to help prevent self-harm. It is your assurance of TikTok’s commitment that the app remains a safe space for your teen’s enjoyment on and off the platform.

This way, you can also be sure that your teens are empowered to express themselves in the most authentic way in a safe and positive environment.

These features, tools, and resources align with TikTok’s #ThinkTwicePH Campaign, to inform, empower, and educate users to be more mindful with what they share and consume. When your teens are learning and enjoying while being safe, that’s one less thing for you to worry about everyday.

Got TikTok-related experiences to share with other parents? Tell your story in the comments section below!