this post was submitted on 08 Mar 2024
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How?
By design. Especially the format (short video clips) and the optimization for being used on phones (not computers) makes it attractive for kids.
63% of Americans between the ages of 12 and 17 used TikTok on a weekly basis
Report Estimates One-Third of TikTok Users Are Children Age 14 and Under
TikTok reportedly has 18 million users who are 14 or younger, renewing concerns for children's safety
A Third of TikTok’s U.S. Users May Be 14 or Under, Raising Safety Questions
Seriously? it took me one google search to find an endless list of such articles. Also, did you not notice all the kids outside filming Tik Tok dances with their phones, it has been going on for many years now, how is it possible you did not notice it?
Kids using tiktok and tiktok specifically targeting children to use their platform are distinctly different. Just because kids use tiktok doesn't mean it's because they were lured there. Those metrics only identify that tiktok is popular among youth, which is not an indication of malice whatsoever.
I appreciate your opinion, but short video clips on Mobile devices are nothing inherent to children. Now if tiktok was giving you pokemon for signing up or posting of their platform, then there'd be a valid argument that they're targeting children. (I feel like there was a pokeball collaboration with tiktok once, but I can't find a source to support it)
Getting back to the original context - the argument that Tiktok should be shut down because "it's short videos on mobile platforms that's popular among teens" is lunacy. Everyone is throwing shade at me and not realizing how absurd their argument is.
I'm not acting in bad faith either. I don't care about the fate of tiktok, but I'm seeing a trend of vilification without proper logical discourse. It's disconcerting to say the least.
I respect your opinion and don't think you are arguing in bad faith. However, I think you are missing the central point. Which -in my opinion- is that a social media platform that turns out to have extremely negative effects on society and especially kids, should get shut down. If it happens with intent or without is not particularly relevant as far as I see it. I apologize if my initial comments were phrased in any misleading way, I am not a native speaker so I sometimes miss the finer nuances of certain formulations.
No need to apologize, you're the first person to actually calmly and willingly discuss the topic without completely dismissing being disagreed with.
I know you're not the originally comment I was replying to, but you conveniently moved the goal posts. The context of the entire conversation is whether TikTok specifically should be shut down because it targets children for it's own gain. You're now arguing that social media in general has negative impact on society and children, which I agree with, but is completely skewing the conversation and was, in no way, the central point of the discussion.
So your opinion is that all social media platforms that deem to have negative affects on society should be shut down? Do you not see what's wrong with that? You're saying humans can't decide whether or not they want to use social media. You should understand how absolutely absurd that is - that is a completely dystopian totalitarian dictatorship idea. It sounds like a chapter in 1984.
Advertising.
Source? Examples?
I tried googling, can't find anything that supports these claims
Edit: third party advertisers abusing tiktoks advertising algorithms is not on topic to the original comment that tiktok itself specifically targets children, and tiktok has addressed these issues.
You can downvote all you want, but I've still not been provided any proof that tiktok specifically targets or intends their platform to be for children.
I'm not dismissing the original claim. I'm genuinely curious, but I need logical discourse, not users with mental illness going off on complete tangents.
If you have any cognitive thought or opinionated source that tiktok is a bad faith actor towards the safety or health of children, I'd love to read it. My company builds software, so knowing the failings of tiktok to protect children is in my interest.
https://www.tiktok.com/business/en-US
Unrelated - this is just a business tiktok page
Directely relevant to advertising on tiktok.
Didn't look very hard
https://techcrunch.com/2022/06/22/tiktok-eu-consumer-protection-commtiments/
Again, this is not relevant to the original comment.
This is about how advertising was abused to target children.
It honestly sounds like you unjustifiably hate the platform and are throwing every nonsensical argument.
You've provided zero justification that tiktok as a company purposely targets children or designs their application specifically for children.
https://fivechannels.com/not-just-for-kids-the-ultimate-guide-to-advertising-on-tiktok/
Unrelated to original comment
https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawoollacott/2022/06/22/tiktok-agrees-to-improve-protections-for-children/?sh=11be59fe459b
This is about advertising to children within the platform and how tiktok intends to protect unethical advertising to children
Again - take the L.
I'm sorry you are getting downvoted, because technically you are right. TikTok will never claim to aim at children or advertise as such because they know they can't provide a safe environment and will open themselves up to lawsuits.
If you're the type of person who needs a verbal admission of guilt before you can see wrong doing, I guess.
Tiktok's stance is rather meaningless because they'd never admit wrongdoing. I'm more curious how does tiktok target children with their platform? How do they lure them to it and why?
Then the conversation becomes: What standards should social media platforms be accountable to?
https://appradar.com/blog/how-to-use-tiktok-ads-for-mobile-games
Unrelated
Directely relevant to advertising on tiktok.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/facebook-instagram-tiktok-snapchat-children-advertising-2022-harvard-study/
Should I keep finding relevant links for you or do you feel sufficiently foolish enough?
The comment was
That study shows the opposite. YouTube benefited from minors over 2.5 times more than TikTok. And it shows every other platform is benefiting similar amounts. In fact, Snapchat has half the number of monthly users as tiktok but has almost identical ad revenue from minors. All the major social media platforms suck and are trying to take advantage of us, especially kids
I'm not arguing it's only tiktok. They all fucking suck. The question was how does TikTok benefit off children and the answer is advertising. That's a fact.
But the original comment you replied to (edit: not that you replied to, the comment you replied to was replying to a user saying that) WAS saying it's only, or at least primarily, Tiktok.
I only commented because, especially among the reddit and fediverse demographic, there's a fervent dislike of TikTok specifically. I think some people have lost sight of the larger issue, that TikTok is a symptom and not the disease. But it's an easy target because of its early reputation as a dance app for younger users, its alleged ties to the CCP, and its popularity.
Unrelated
https://www.tiktok.com/business/en-US/blog/privacy-updates-improved-data-control-transparency-tools
Again, this supports tiktok protecting children
No -- it's ticktok eventually capitulating to pressure to do anything at all. Just admit you're wrong. It's ok
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/11/tiktok-risks-pushing-children-towards-harmful-content/
Unrelated, and you provided links that tiktok has worked to prevent this behavior from advertised
https://devforum.roblox.com/t/how-to-successfully-grow-your-game-ft-senseideveloper-vikinglaw-promoting-and-advertising-your-game/2535279
Unrelated
Directely relevant to advertising on tiktok.
The fact that you can advertise to children on tiktok doesn't mean that the platform specifically exists to cater to young children.
I think it does.
No seriously -- did you even try or did you just want to bloviate online to randos for... no reason at all?
You just ignore anything you dont like. You're not arguing in good faith.
https://gizmodo.com/tiktok-slammed-in-europe-over-hidden-advertising-to-kid-1846277642
Are you a GOP candidate? You seriously couldn't find any of these links?? I didn't even use Google.
Unrelated to original comment
Please find two brain cells to rub together to understand the context of the original comment. You've gone on a complete nonsensical tangent akin to mental illness
You just ignore anything you don't like. Go back to Beijing and tell Poobear you failed.
I have to say they provided a lot of links and were unable to show anything relevant so i was tempted just to assume they're crazy but I try not to base anything on crazy people even negatives so I looked it up
I don't know how accurate these are but the article said they're sourced from tiktok
A lot of people want a big bad to blame for everything and tiktok is it for a lot of people, but yeah I don't really think their claim is correct
Agreed. We're both being downvote because we're not part of the hive mind.
Most of the links provided are about how children were easy to advertise to and TikTok was not properly protecting them. That's a completely different discussion than "tiktok is targeting children".
I want to be a supporter of keeping children safe, but I don't think banning tiktok will help anything other than create 5 new platforms that will make letting kids safe even harder
Edit: that last argument is a straw man, but you get the point