TikTok has become one of the most popular social media platforms among teenagers and young adults. With its focus on short videos often set to music, TikTok makes it easy for users to create and share content. However, with large numbers of teenagers flocking to the app, concerns have emerged around potential exposure to inappropriate content.
TikTok provides some default filters to limit exposure to certain types of content, but users can enable additional filters to further customize what shows up on their feed. Parents in particular may want to restrict certain words or phrases to ensure their teens have a safe experience on the platform. TikTok offers family pairing features to empower parents to set appropriate limitations for their teenagers’ accounts.
Why Filter Words on TikTok?
TikTok has been highly criticized for exposing children to inappropriate content despite their guidelines prohibiting certain types of content. Unfortunately, TikTok’s algorithms can still surface more mature content to young users.
According to Common Sense Media, TikTok has issues with “sexualization and inappropriate content, despite being prohibited by the platform’s community guidelines”. They recommend supervision for users under age 15.
Kid Matters Counseling explains that while TikTok has made recent changes, previously “all TikTok accounts defaulted to a “public” setting no matter the age of the user, leaving your child open to DM’s and interactions from strangers.” This highlights the need for parents to take proactive measures to protect their kids.
Because TikTok makes it so easy to come across mature content, filtering certain words can help restrict a child’s feed and messages. This gives parents greater control over what their kids see on the platform.
TikTok’s Default Content Filters
TikTok automatically enables content filtering for younger users under the age of 13 according to their Community Guidelines. These default filters restrict videos that may contain mature or adult content.
For users ages 13-15, TikTok enables “Suggested” content filters by default. This prevents videos with more mature themes from appearing in places like the “For You” feed, but allows users to still search for and view them.
Users over 16 have no filters enabled by default. However, users of any age can choose to enable additional filtering options for their account.
Activating Additional Filters
TikTok provides users with several options to customize their filters and activate additional restrictions beyond the default content moderation. To access these filters:
- Open the TikTok app and tap on the profile icon in the bottom right.
- Select “Settings and privacy” from the menu.
- Choose “Digital wellbeing” from the list of options.
- Under “Digital wellbeing tools”, toggle on “Restricted mode” to limit content that may be inappropriate.
- You can also enable “Screen time management” to set daily time limits.
Enabling these filters in the Digital Wellbeing settings allows you to tailor TikTok’s content moderation to your preferences. As TikTok explains in their Digital Wellbeing overview, these tools help users “have more understanding and control over how much time [they] spend on TikTok, and limit content that may not be appropriate.”
Filtering Specific Words and Phrases
TikTok allows users to customize filtered keywords to limit exposure to certain content. This feature can be accessed in the app’s Digital Wellbeing controls under “Customize filtered keywords.” Users can add specific words or phrases that they want filtered from their feeds.
According to TikTok’s support site, “Filter video keywords on TikTok allows you to tailor the content in your For You and Following feeds. Note: Certain keywords can’t be filtered.” https://support.tiktok.com/en/safety-hc/account-and-user-safety/user-safety
Keyword filtering will only apply to videos that include the chosen keywords in the description, or in stickers included in the clip. So it won’t filter out all content related to that topic necessarily. But it allows for more control over limiting exposure to potentially sensitive subjects.
Users can enter in comma-separated keywords and phrases to add to their filtered list. The feature is customizable to each user’s preferences and concerns. Though some users have reported issues getting customized filters to work properly.
Limiting Screen Time
TikTok allows users to set daily screen time limits to manage how much time is spent in the app. This feature allows you to set a maximum daily limit, after which you will get notified upon reaching it. According to TikTok’s support site, “It lets you set a daily screen time limit so that you get notified when you reach that time on TikTok. You can turn this setting on and off at any time.”
The default screen time limit for users under 18 is 60 minutes per day. TikTok recently introduced stricter default limits, as explained in their newsroom update: “For people in our under 13 experience, the daily screen time limit will also be set to 60 minutes, and a parent or guardian will need to set or extend it.” The limit can be customized or turned off entirely through the Digital Wellbeing settings.
Setting a screen time limit can encourage more mindful social media usage for teens. As reported by The Independent, “The limit comes into effect when young people under 18 have been using the app for more than 60 minutes in one day.” Parents are also notified when screen time has been used up.
Restricting Messaging
TikTok allows users to control who can message them directly in the app. This can help limit interactions from strangers. To restrict messaging:
Go to your profile page and tap the three dot menu icon in the top right corner. Select “Settings and privacy” then tap “Privacy”. Under “Direct messages” you can choose “Friends” to only allow messages from people you follow back. Select “Off” to disable direct messages completely.
TikTok also allows enabling restricted mode for up to a week at a time. This prevents your account from sending any messages during that period. To enable, go to “Settings and privacy” then “Privacy” and tap “Restricted mode”
Parents can also manage messaging settings using TikTok’s Family Pairing feature. This allows parents to approve contacts and restrict messages to only approved contacts. See TikTok’s guide on Family Pairing and Direct Message Permissions for more details.
Limiting messages can help prevent unwanted contact from strangers. However, it’s still important to use caution when messaging anyone you don’t know, even if you follow them.
Disabling Suggested Content
One way to avoid exposing suggestive videos on TikTok is to turn off the “Suggested For You” feature, which uses algorithms to recommend content based on your interactions (TikTok Support). This prevents videos that may not be age-appropriate from appearing in the For You feed.
To disable suggested content on TikTok:
- Go to your profile page
- Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner
- Select “Settings and privacy”
- Go to “Recommendations”
- Toggle off “Suggested for You”
With this setting disabled, only videos from accounts you follow will appear in your main feed (TikTok Newsroom). While you can still search and find suggestive content, this limits exposure from the For You recommendations.
Parents may want to disable this feature for their child’s account. It’s an easy way to avoid inappropriate videos appearing unexpectedly (TikTok Newsroom).
Using Family Pairing
Family Pairing allows parents to link their own TikTok account to their teen’s account to enable additional parental controls. According to the TikTok Support article, parents can manage their teen’s digital wellbeing by limiting screen time, restricting messaging to “Friends Only,” disabling the “Suggest Your Account to Others” setting, and restricting the appearance of content that may be inappropriate using the restricted mode setting.
To enable Family Pairing, parents need to download the TikTok app and go through an age verification process. Then in the app, they can tap “Profile” -> “Settings and Privacy” -> “Family Pairing” and follow the steps to link their teen’s account. Once linked, parents can enable the various parental control settings. These include setting time limits, restricting messaging, disabling account suggestions, and enabling Restricted Mode under “Digital Wellbeing.”
According to TikTok’s newsroom article, Family Pairing gives parents “the ability to customize their teen’s TikTok experience in a way that makes sense for their family.” It provides oversight while still allowing teens to be creative and get value from the platform.
Sources:
https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/tiktok-introduces-family-pairing
https://support.tiktok.com/en/safety-hc/account-and-user-safety/user-safety
Additional Safety Tips
In addition to filters and controls, there are some other steps you can take to stay safe on TikTok:
- Make your account private – Enable the “Private Account” setting under Privacy and Safety to limit your videos to only people you approve (source: https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-gb/tiktok-safety-tips).
- Be selective about sharing personal information – Don’t share your exact location, phone number, email, or other private details (source: https://www.kaspersky.co.uk/resource-center/preemptive-safety/tiktok-tips).
- Be cautious about meeting strangers – While TikTok can enable friendships, use caution if meeting someone you only know online (source: https://www.tiktok.com/creators/creator-portal/en-us/community-guidelines-and-safety/safety-tips/).
- Block and report suspicious accounts – Make use of built-in blocking and reporting tools if you encounter harassment, spam, or concerning behavior (source: https://www.tiktok.com/creators/creator-portal/en-us/community-guidelines-and-safety/safety-tips/).
Staying safe online requires being smart about sharing personal details, being selective with interactions, and using available privacy and reporting tools. With the right precautions, TikTok can be fun and engaging without putting your privacy at risk.
