Let an 8 year old on Titkok?

[Anonymous]

Why will any parent let a 8 year old to have a TikTok? I am trying not to judge, but especially this month, when everyone is talking about Santa.....
My neighbor 8 year old just found out about Santa because she saw a video on TikTok. Today she was mad because of it, all I wanted to say is WHY IS SHE ON TikTok. My kids were on Youtube kids at that age and I was near them..

[Anonymous]

Do you want an answer as to why, or do you want to feel superior about your parenting?

[Anonymous]

The key word is “neighbor”. Mind your own business.

[Anonymous]

At least 4 of the kids at the bus stop are on Tik tok (they range in age from 8-10) and are constantly doing dances together that they post. They all have phones and have access to them 24/7. One was telling me she and her sister doom scroll late at night (they share a room). Another was telling the other about a weird boy that has been contacting her and the other showed her how to block people.

My daughter (8) only has access to YouTube kids. These bus stop kids are definitely more advanced/worldly than my daughter. They are latchkey kids that are given a lot of freedom. Not sure which is better. My daughter is still into dolls and whatnot.

[Anonymous]

If your kids are on YouTube Kids you can't really cast stones

[Anonymous]

You're upset that your neighbor kid isn't as ignorant as your child?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your kids are on YouTube Kids you can't really cast stones

Not at all the same. Nice try though.

[Anonymous]

Tiktok customizes its feed to your interests.

Good kids have good feeds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your kids are on YouTube Kids you can't really cast stones

Not at all the same. Nice try though.

DP, and us really superior parents can still look down on you if your kid is watching short form video. /s

[Anonymous]

I work at an urgent care and I’ve seen toddlers in the exam room watching tiktok. One preschooler was watching shorts of people making themselves vomit. It was really distracting as I was trying to examine her and was like “mom can you turn the volume down on her device for me? Also I’m not sure if you know she’s watching people throw up!” Trying to make the last part sound light hearted because, not my monkey not my circus. The mom muted the device , didn’t make the girl stop watching the vomit videos, and went back to her own phone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your kids are on YouTube Kids you can't really cast stones

Not at all the same. Nice try though.

Cocaine and gin are not at all the same, but anyone giving them to an eight year old is abusive. You're a bad parent trying to find someone worse to make yourself feel better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work at an urgent care and I’ve seen toddlers in the exam room watching tiktok. One preschooler was watching shorts of people making themselves vomit. It was really distracting as I was trying to examine her and was like “mom can you turn the volume down on her device for me? Also I’m not sure if you know she’s watching people throw up!” Trying to make the last part sound light hearted because, not my monkey not my circus. The mom muted the device , didn’t make the girl stop watching the vomit videos, and went back to her own phone.

This is pretty horrifying. And while I don't think tiktok and youtube are exactly the same, I personally don't think 8 year olds should be on either. They are actually pretty similar in a lot of ways. Though I have plenty of friends who are kind, smart, thoughtful people who let their younger than 8 year olds have a good bit of freedom on youtube. I truly don't understand it, I think they don't really understand the risk (at least they clearly understand the risk differently than me... maybe they are right and I am wrong!)

[Anonymous]

I have a 9 yr old and 6 year old. They do NOT watch Tiktok. I do occasionally show them funny/cute videos ---we watched a few together about an elderly beaver who was being rehabilitated and have seen some really funny animal videos. I also occasionally will find a cool video about a place we are going to travel to or a history thing and I'll show it to them but that is IT.

We have blocked youtube from our home and also do not allow social video games like roblox. They were going on youtube and we kept deleting it as my younger child kept somehow getting onto weird videos where someone was playing with a toy in Chinese or Russian but we've been able to completely block it from our server.

I've done a lot of trainings professionally and kids are being targeted through Youtube, Tiktok, and video games in a variety of ways. There's attempts to get enough information to hack into accounts, pedophiles, or inappropriate messages within videos (they are intended for kids but then will slip in inappropriate/explicit content), trafficking, and a lot of adolescent boys are being targeted through right-wing extremists through social video games, and of course there's bullying, ect.

What's scary is that a lot of tv/internet systems make it really difficult to completely block these things and it is really easy for kids to go around it. I am not opposed to all social media and I think there are some big positives for adults but kids need A LOT of guidance, support, and protection. I also am going to try and prevent my kids from having social media accounts until they are adults....we'll see! I've seen some cool things where parents get their kids on board and they agree to not use any social media and are given the promise of $$$$ so maybe something I'll do.

[Anonymous]

NFW

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your kids are on YouTube Kids you can't really cast stones

Not at all the same. Nice try though.

It's absolutely the same. Everything on tiktok is also on youtube.