TikTok is a social network for sharing user-generated videos, mostly of people lip-synching to popular songs. It was originally called musical.ly (pronounced MU-zik-lee). Users can create and upload their own videos where they lip-synch, sing, dance, or just talk. You can also browse and interact with other users’ content, which covers a wide range of topics, songs, and styles.  With more than 100 million users (mostly teens and tweens), Tik Tok is incredibly popular, owing in part to its mash-up of features from other kid favorites. Like the lip-synching app Dubsmash, users can watch and record videos of themselves lip-synching to popular music and sound bites. As they did on the now-defunct Vine, kids can create short, shareable videos ranging from funny to serious. And just like YouTube, Tik Tok is an interactive world of videos that lets you connect with friends and followers through likes, comments, and even duets.  With 100 million users (and counting), it’s likely that this app is already on your child’s device or they have used it on their friend’s device.

 The Cyber Safety Lady has an excellent review of Tik Tok titled “Is Tik Tok Safe for Kids?”  She even points out how the supposed “Safety Features” provided by Tik Tok do not really help filter out the immoral content.  Please read her article and then discuss with your family. From an NRC and Biblical perspective, there is no good reason for this app to be on our devices.  Even its supposedly “positive” aspects still promote worldly, popular music and culture.