Do You TikTok?
I’ll admit it. As an adult, I do enjoy going on TikTok and mindlessly streaming through content that I enjoy. The algorithm is so accurate, that I get the content curated to my needs and likes. The world’s definitely a stage; everyone can be a performer and entertainer. All social media platforms are used for entertainment and research. It’s fun to laugh out loud to a video of cute dogs slipping and sliding across the floor, or watching Tiktok makeup tutorials to see which Halloween character someone can portray. Tiktok Famous literally led to a new generation of influencers, becoming famous and rubbing shoulders with the crème de la crème of Hollywood. But seriously, how bad can TikTok trends be? The younger generation, especially children, may be more vulnerable to the content streaming on TikTok.

One viral trend that was removed by TikTok was the ‘Devious Lick’ since students were destroying school property and stealing things. Students were destroying school bathrooms and encouraging the trend on TikTok. Every student who performed the challenge would try to outdo themselves from the last video viewed to gain more followers.

According to a recent article by Dexerto, TikTok has removed content from its platform that is deemed too dangerous or irresponsible, and it urges its users to ‘create responsibly’.

Cap Challenge:
According to the Jive PR & Digital feature, “The CAP challenge creates background music with the sound from a kid’s music channel teaching children how to spell, spelling out the word C-A-P. However, on TikTok, CAP is dubbed as something that is fake or a lie. TikTok users are creating their content using children’s music to show how displeased they are with something or someone.” This content isn’t necessarily dangerous, however it is worrisome that a viral trend would use children’s content as a base of entertainment for content that isn’t intended for kids and out of context. It could be misused or interpreted in an inappropriate way.

TikTok Made Me Buy It
We all know that social media does influence our buying decisions but to actually put it out there is even more absurd. Amazon buys and stuff that you normally don’t need have been viral on TikTok and it seems to be working—people are buying it. People are seen making videos organizing supplies to sell plastic containers and vacuuming lines of dust or colorful sand to sell vacuums.

TikTok is a social media tool that is useful, helpful and informative; however parents must remember that the platform is influenced by content creators, viral videos and algorithms. The more content that you watch on TikTok, the more likely the platform will direct the videos that you like in the ‘For you’ content which may or may not be appropriate for the audience watching. Scroll with caution but with an open mind.