TikTok

Here’s a difficult one. TikTok is an immensely popular app that surfaced about three years ago. It specializes in short, 15-second videos that anyone can create and use for all kinds of purposes. A lot of the videos are just people goofing around and can garner a few laughs, which is one reason that the app has become so popular with kids (and why TikTok videos show up on so many kid-focused channels).

The problem is that TikTok has also become home to scams, ones that you don’t want your kids to get involved in. One popular scam uses stolen videos of women dancing or working out, then routes viewers to Snapchat pornography, and from there to adult dating sites (making money via clicks along the way). Others may demand PayPal money to activate special Snapchat accounts with more nudity, etc. Another scam has people impersonate TikTok “celebrities” that may be familiar to your kids, and try to scam them out of money, sign-ups, or information.

The problem is that TikTok remains a popular app from a social perspective, so forbidding it outright could lead to a messy scenario. TikTok is trying to get a handle on its spam, so if you decide to leave the app be, you must talk to your kids about what dangers TikTok can create.