We watch TikTok, TikTok watches back
Issue #65
If you have tweens or teens, you’re probably all too familiar with TikTok. This is the go-to social platform for younger users. It’s wildly popular with kids and adults alike—and its success is often attributed to a scary-powerful algorithm that can quickly figure out exactly what content you’re interested in. Niche explainer videos about 17th-century fashion? Time-lapse videos of ant farms? Mash-up videos of epic NFL misplays? If you can dream it, chances are you can find it on TikTok.
But even if your family hasn’t fallen down the TikTok rabbit hole, you might have been seeing the app in the news a lot lately. That’s because governments and universities across the US have been banning the app over security concerns about TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance. There’s a fear that the Chinese government could be using TikTok to access sensitive information or even surveil people. And, the fears are founded: as it turns out, people at TikTok were using the app to spy on journalists in the hopes of identifying who at the company was leaking information (stay tuned to see TikTok’s CEO testify in front of Congress next month).
So yes, the momentum against TikTok is strong, and I’m not surprised that people might be concerned about having it installed on government devices. That said, for parents, there are bigger concerns outside of surveillance. This is just one particularly visible case of bad actors using a social platform for nefarious purposes, but social media can be inherently harmful to children in less sensational ways.
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat—all these platforms are 13+ for a reason. They’re all designed to capture our attention and keep it at all costs. They hoover up our data and use it to show us ads and generate revenue. They use persuasive design to keep us scrolling, liking, tagging, commenting and sharing. TikTok is particularly successful because of its powerful algorithm. Unlike Facebook and IG, which show you content primarily based on your social graph, TikTok determines your interests and shows you lots of relevant content whether you follow the creators or not. This has proven to be a very compelling social media experience, especially for younger users.
These apps offer users something else that’s very powerful: social validation. Each like, comment and friend request makes us feel great for a fleeting moment—but it cuts both ways. When we don’t get those likes (and when we compare ourselves to others), we can feel pretty low. Not ideal for anyone, let alone children.
It’s clear by now that social media can be risky for children. Many platforms are for ages 13+ according to their terms of service, but the Surgeon General has recently warned that might be too young still. Kids that age are still developing their identities. It’s a time when they need protection, not exploitation. Obviously, an app that surveils users doesn’t fit the bill, but TikTok is far from the only danger out there.
A deeper dive
Here are a few helpful resources in case you want to really dig into today's topic:
At least four members of ByteDance staff in both the US and China improperly accessed data from the TikTok app to surveil journalists. All four members have reportedly been fired, but the damage to public trust is certain to linger.
The problem with banning TikTok is that it’s a temporary fix that doesn’t really address the larger underlying problem. This quote from the former general counsel of the NSA does a good job of capturing the sentiment: “But such a ban might ultimately put our national security at greater risk. Moreover, it would sidestep a broader problem — our nation’s overall failure to address concerns over the huge amount of personal data collected in our digital lives, especially when that data could be used by foreign adversaries.”
TL;DR
Too long; didn't read. It shouldn't be a full-time job to keep up on industry news, so here is a mercifully quick summary of some other notable developments:
During a recent interview at CNN, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said “I, personally, based on the data I’ve seen, believe that 13 is too early … It’s a time where it’s really important for us to be thoughtful about what’s going into how they think about their own self-worth and their relationships and the skewed and often distorted environment of social media often does a disservice to many of those children.” Obviously, this kind of statement is significant—and I’ll be unpacking it further in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.
A 91-page lawsuit filed by the public school district of Seattle alleges that TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Snapchat have created a public nuisance by targeting children with their products. According to the district, these companies have contributed to a mental health crisis among youth, “making it more difficult to educate students; and forcing schools to take steps such as hiring additional mental health professionals, developing lesson plans about the effects of social media, and providing additional training to teachers.” It’ll be interesting to see how much traction this case gets, but it’s certainly a creative way to try and hold tech companies responsible for their products and decisions.
And Lastly
Here are a few more pieces of original writing from me and my team—just in case you're keen for more:
If your kids are interested in using TikTok (and they probably are), my team outlines the pros and cons of the app here.
And, if your kids are already using TikTok, here’s a guide to some useful settings that can help keep them as safe as possible.