{"id":155464,"date":"2022-07-06T14:59:45","date_gmt":"2022-07-06T21:59:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=155464"},"modified":"2024-01-14T03:42:06","modified_gmt":"2024-01-14T11:42:06","slug":"setting-up-parental-controls-in-tiktok-instagram-snapchat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/setting-up-parental-controls-in-tiktok-instagram-snapchat\/","title":{"rendered":"Setting Up Parental Controls in TikTok, Instagram & Snapchat"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s a question we get a lot from parents: \u201cHow can I keep my kids safe when they are constantly hopping between so many different apps?\u201d We get it, there\u2019s a lot to stay on top and all of it changes constantly. Unfortunately, that question doesn\u2019t have a simple answer. But there are some baseline actions every parent can take to boost their child\u2019s safety on popular apps like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The safety equation is threefold, with every piece as important to your child\u2019s overall safety as the next.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Connection and conversation.<\/span><\/b> The first part of the safety equation is maintaining a strong relationship with your child so that dialogue (two-way; no lectures) on digital safety and wellbeing becomes commonplace and they know they can come to you if they<\/span> have a problem.\u202f<\/span>One way to keep those conversations rolling is to download your child\u2019s favorite apps so that you understand first-hand how the communities work and the type of content that\u2019s being shared.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Install parental controls.<\/span><\/b> The second part of the safety equation is to add <\/span>parental controls<\/span><\/a>. Do we have an agenda here? You betcha! For decades, we\u2019ve put some of the world\u2019s brightest engineering minds into designing digital tools that allow families to enjoy <\/span>the best<\/span><\/i> of the Internet without giving them <\/span>the rest<\/span><\/i> of the Internet that could put their emotional and physical wellbeing at risk. McAfee\u2019s targeted software helps parents monitor and filter web searches and content, set time limits, and view daily activity reports.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Access platform tools.<\/span><\/b> The third way is to take a few minutes to ensure your kids are using the platform-level tools available on both their devices and within the apps. Both <\/span>Apple<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Android<\/span><\/a> phones have basic safety and wellbeing features. Additionally, the apps your kids likely love\u2014Tik Tok, Snapchat, and Instagram\u2014have their own set of safety tools.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Screentime is Climbing<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

    A <\/span>report released in 2021<\/span><\/a> by Common Sense Media found that teenagers (ages 13-18) use an average of <\/span>nine hours<\/span><\/i> of entertainment media per day and that tweens (ages 8-12) use an average of <\/span>six hours<\/span><\/i> a day, not including time spent using media for school or homework. The report also found that boys spend more time on gaming devices while girls spend more time on social media and that mobile devices now account for 41% of all screen time among tweens and 46% among teens.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    With those numbers increasing each year, it\u2019s even more important to understand the different ways parents can help kids stay safe. Let\u2019s break down a few safety basics on each app that are easy to access and use.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Tik Tok Safety<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

    TikTok has some impressive <\/span>safety guidelines<\/span><\/a> broken down into topics parents could easily use as a springboard for some great family discussions. The guidelines and the <\/span>Safety Center<\/span><\/a> cover issues such as dangerous <\/span>TikTok challenges<\/span><\/a> and how to deal with other digital threats such as bullying, sexual content, fake news, and hateful behavior. You can increase safeguards using TikTok\u2019s:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n