TikTok to Establish a Global Youth Council to Make the App Safer for Teenagers

TikTok is starting a new Global Youth Council to make the app safer for teens by working with experts to make sure it’s better for everyone. This comes after a study showed that teens and parents need to talk more about staying safe online. In the UK, only half of teens talk to their parents about online stuff each month. The reason for the lack of communication is avoid topics that make them feel uncomfortable, like how they feel about their bodies.

TikTok’s Global Youth Council will give ideas about the Youth Portal and TikTok Reporting Tools. They’ll focus on making sure teens are doing okay and help improve these tools. TikTok already has a Safety Center that lots of people visit each month, with advice on bullying and body image. They also want to involve parents more, so they encourage new users over 35 to use Family Pairing. And they’ll have more than 10 campaigns in the app this year to help people understand media better.

A TikTok spokesperson said they really listen to what teens and parents say about safety. A Youth Council member said they’re excited to make the app safer and help people understand each other better.

Experts like Carolyn Bunting from Internet Matters think the Youth Council’s ideas are very important. The study also showed that both teens and parents need to learn more about the safety tools already in TikTok. They plan to do this by sending messages in the app and promoting media literacy programs.

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