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Daily Record
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
The dangers of TikTok for children as millions under the age limit use video app
The NSPCC has shared the risks involved with the popular social media platform, which millions of kids younger than the age limit are using. It's easy for parents to worry about what their kids are getting up to online. And while social media can be a place for friendship and connectivity for young ones, it doesn't come without its dangers. TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms used by young people nowadays. Despite TikTok having an age limit of 13-years-old, millions of children have made accounts, giving them access to unlimited videos on the platform that can show explicit or inappropriate content. In fact, a UK-wide study in 2020 found that there were between 1.1 and 1.4 million children under the age of 13 that had TikTok accounts, some of which were as young as three-years-old. Users can make videos, participate in livestreams and message each other on the platform, which the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) warns can pose serious dangers to children. With this in mind, the NSPCC have issued advice for parents about TikTok and some of its risks for kids. Here is their overview of the app, its dangers, and its parental controls. What exactly is TikTok and how does it work? TikTok is a video-sharing platform where you can watch and create videos and livestream footage. The app is used to browse different videos via a personalised feed known as the 'For You Page', and users can also search for content using topics or hashtags. The app features content on any topic you can think of, including dancing or lip-synching, clips from TV shows or films, comedy sketches, fitness and recipes. TikTok uses algorithms to show users different video content based on their interests and other videos they watch. This means that the 'For You Page' is different for everyone, and is tailored to topics that users like. What's the minimum age to use TikTok? In the UK, children should be at least 13 to have an account, but as studies have shown, millions of kids younger than this required age have managed to access the platform, whether under parental supervision or otherwise. Can parents restrict their children's TikTok accounts? Parents can restrict what their children are viewing and who their kids can interact with on TikTok via the app's Family Pairing tool, that allows a parent to link their own account with their child's. TikTok has shared instructions on their website on how to set up this tool. To link parent and teen accounts on TikTok: In the TikTok app, tap Profile at the bottom. Tap the Menu ☰ button at the top, then select Settings and privacy. Tap Family Pairing. Tap Continue. Tap Parent or Teen, then tap Next. Follow the steps to link the accounts. To manage Family Pairing settings: In the TikTok app, tap Profile at the bottom. Tap the Menu ☰ button at the top, then select Settings and privacy. Tap Family Pairing. Select the account you want to manage, then update the settings as needed. Is TikTok safe for children? TikTok can be a creative outlet for young people as it allows them to learn about video editing and discover new interests. But the NSPCC explains that it does come with risks for children. Here are some of its dangers. V The parenting experts explain on their website:"[Children] could be at risk of seeing upsetting images or video. "To lessen the chance of this happening, they can select restricted mode to limit exposure to mature and complex content. "This is also available through the Family Pairing tool, if you think it would be more effective to set it up yourself." Unwanted contact or comments TikTok users can message one another directly, explains the NSPCC. They continued: "Accounts set up by 13 to 16-year-olds are set to private by default, which means your teenager can approve who can follow them and view their content. "The Family Pairing function allows you to view your teenager's account to check it's private. You can also decide who can like and who can comment on your child's content." Too much time online Any social media app can encourage young people to spend more time online, and excessive screen time is thought to contribute to poor mental health. But the parenting experts offer a solution, saying: "You could have a conversation with your child about online wellbeing to ensure they are not putting too much emphasis on social media or feeling pressured by it." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. 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STV News
02-05-2025
- Health
- STV News
'My son wouldn't have gone into care if I'd had more support'
A Glasgow mother has said her son wouldn't have had to go into foster care if she had been given the right support. Sharon Graham's son was taken into care 15 years ago after she began struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. 'I was struggling emotionally, and it became clear that I wasn't coping with everything that was going on,' she said. 'It was really difficult at that time, I wanted to be a really good mum to him, because I'd had two daughters before who are older and I wanted him to have what they had.' STV News Ms Graham's son is now over 18, and she has regular contact with him. Ms Graham said her son did have good experiences in foster care, but it was support for her that was 'lacking'. 'They're wanting to bring this child back but if they're not doing any work with the parent, then nothings going to change,' she said. Ms Graham's son is now over 18, and she has regular contact with him but believes her family's outcome could have been different if she received better intervention. 'I didn't get up one morning and decide I'm going to be an alcoholic or a drug addict, I'm going to hurt my family or my children and I'm just going to give up on my son, that's just not reality,' she said. Her son was adopted three years after being placed in foster care, before that he was back and forth between his mum's home and care. 'I think he was let down from the start, I believe that even with the assessment that was being doing, it wasn't looking at him and what he was experiencing, it was more about the fact that I was an addict,' she said. Ms Graham has gone on to work with services and help other families experiencing similar trauma but said people still aren't getting enough support. Her story has helped inform a study of the care system led by the University of Glasgow and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). The results show the rate of children getting a permanent home in England, where a judge oversees the process, is nearly four and a half times faster compared to Scotland. Researchers followed a study of over 500 children aged zero to five in foster care and concluded that fundamental changes are needed to the Scottish Care System. The recommended changes include the allocation of a single sheriff assigned to each child's case, stricter compliance to court-ordered timescales, balancing time for birth families to access therapy and mental health support for infants. Scotland's children's minister Natalie Don-Innes said: 'I am committed to delivering The Promise and ensuring we have a care system that provides children and young people with the stability, support and love they need. 'We have consulted with children, families, carers, the legal profession and social work to inform work on improving experience of the care journey including considering how to support timely, rights-based decisions for children and young people. 'I value the commitment of foster carers and we are currently developing a new model of foster care based on a flexible, child-centred approach.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Netflix's ‘Adolescence' to Screen in All UK Schools in Prime Minister-Backed Initiative
Netflix has made its hit drama series 'Adolescence' available to stream in all secondary schools in the United Kingdom as part of an initiative supported by Prime Minister Keir Starmer that seeks to help teachers, parents and caregivers guide children through the challenges depicted in the series that kids in real life face daily. 'As a father, watching this show with my teenage son and daughter, I can tell you — it hit home hard,' Starmer said in a reported statement. 'It's an important initiative to encourage as many pupils as possible to watch the show. As I see from my own children, openly talking about changes in how they communicate, the content they're seeing and exploring the conversations they're having with their peers is vital if we are to properly support them in navigating contemporary challenges, and deal with malign influences.' The news came with a roundtable discussion featuring Starmer and representatives from several charities, including the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), Tender and The Children's Society, along with 'Adolescence' co-creator Jack Thorne and producers Emily Feller and Jo Johnson. The four-part series will be available to screen through the Into Film+ streaming platform and it will be coupled with educational resource material. 'This is not a challenge politicians can simply legislate for,' Starmer added. 'Believe me, if I could pull a lever to solve it, I would. Only by listening and learning from the experiences of young people and charities can we tackle the issues this groundbreaking show raises.' ''Adolescence' has captured the national mood, sparking important conversations and helping articulate the pressures young people and parents face in today's society,' Netflix U.K.'s Vice President of Content Anne Mensah, said. 'We're incredibly proud of the impact the show has made, and are delighted to be able to offer it to all schools across the U.K. through Into Film+. As part of this, healthy relationships charity Tender will create resources for teachers and parents to help them navigate the important topics the show explores.' 'Adolescence' premiered on Netflix on March 13 and tells the story of a 13-year-old boy named Jamie (Owen Cooper) whose family's world is flipped upside down after he is accused of murdering his schoolmate. As the series progresses, it becomes clear that Jamie is guilty of the crime. But why he did it remains intentionally shrouded in mystery. Over its four episodes, the series pieces together that Jamie spent a great deal of time in toxic communities online that perpetuate violence against women. That's as clear of a motive as the series ever presents, but even that explanation feels confusing and lacking to his parents and friends, an experience that mirrors the loved ones of people who have been sucked into similar communities in real life 'We made this show to provoke a conversation. We wanted to pose the question — how do we help stop this growing crisis,' 'Adolescence' co-creator and star Stephen Graham said. 'So to have the opportunity to take this into schools is beyond our expectations. We hope it will lead to teachers talking to the students, but what we really hope is it will lead to students talking amongst themselves.'The post Netflix's 'Adolescence' to Screen in All UK Schools in Prime Minister-Backed Initiative appeared first on TheWrap.
