TikTok has updated its Family Pairing feature, bringing about a list of points parents should consider to give their children more freedom without having them engage with the wrong crowd.
The in-app parental control is now being expanded to include educational resources. These are designed to educate users hence being the 'educational resources', meant to help parents to get a better understanding of what their child wants and how to give them what they want in the most optimal way. The initial pairing feature launched last year to all users that allowed parents of teenage users aged 13 and above to keep an eye on what their kids were up to. This feature's main purpose was to protect the children from engaging in inappropriate stuff. It involved controls on the kid's direct messages, their screen time, and such.
The new update was brought about when TikTok acknowledged that the kids wanted their parents to listen to them as well. We are not talking about the don't-control-me rebellious type of demands, but pleas as to having the parents trust the children a little more, giving them space and recognizing their voices. The children, by no means, mentioned removal of the involvement of their parents, something that came as quite a surprise from Gen Z.
This change was brought about in collaboration with Internet Matters, an organization, and teens. The result was a list of rules designed to help parents understand the major platform TikTok and how the children live and thrive in these spaces. There isn't much that the children asked but for the parents and children to understand the rules set by the parents along with a chance to have an open conversation if the children feel something towards those rules. They also mentioned how feeling like they've earned some trust from the parents is indeed a setting of the foundation that will ensure a strong bond between them. Getting the parents to comply with these conditions might give the kids a sense of autonomy so they do not mind having boundaries.
Since the pandemic has turned the internet into a virtual playground, children would like some freedom when it comes to who they can talk to or hang out with. If they feel like they continuously have an eye on them, the children might become conscious, not being true to themselves or feel rather suffocated.
Another major point raised by these teens was the fact that they should be able to approach their parents without the fear of getting scolded or punished. Sometimes when a teen makes a mistake, all he wants is his parents to listen and help them find solutions instead of just scolding them for their misdemeanors. This is the exact reason why most teens don't want parents having an eye on them, in case it results in a series of lectures and beatings.
While all of this is something most parents would already know and follow, considering it's all pretty basic, teens still feel the need to vocalize their needs. Furthermore, if parents are so well inclined with technology to actually use the Family Pairing feature, we're sure they'll be well-aware of all these needs and would fully comply.
TikTok has made a statement with this feature by covering everyone's needs and demands, being indeed a platform everyone can trust and rely on.
Read next: TikTok Publishes A Report Into User Trends That Influence Marketing And App Usage
The in-app parental control is now being expanded to include educational resources. These are designed to educate users hence being the 'educational resources', meant to help parents to get a better understanding of what their child wants and how to give them what they want in the most optimal way. The initial pairing feature launched last year to all users that allowed parents of teenage users aged 13 and above to keep an eye on what their kids were up to. This feature's main purpose was to protect the children from engaging in inappropriate stuff. It involved controls on the kid's direct messages, their screen time, and such.
The new update was brought about when TikTok acknowledged that the kids wanted their parents to listen to them as well. We are not talking about the don't-control-me rebellious type of demands, but pleas as to having the parents trust the children a little more, giving them space and recognizing their voices. The children, by no means, mentioned removal of the involvement of their parents, something that came as quite a surprise from Gen Z.
This change was brought about in collaboration with Internet Matters, an organization, and teens. The result was a list of rules designed to help parents understand the major platform TikTok and how the children live and thrive in these spaces. There isn't much that the children asked but for the parents and children to understand the rules set by the parents along with a chance to have an open conversation if the children feel something towards those rules. They also mentioned how feeling like they've earned some trust from the parents is indeed a setting of the foundation that will ensure a strong bond between them. Getting the parents to comply with these conditions might give the kids a sense of autonomy so they do not mind having boundaries.
Since the pandemic has turned the internet into a virtual playground, children would like some freedom when it comes to who they can talk to or hang out with. If they feel like they continuously have an eye on them, the children might become conscious, not being true to themselves or feel rather suffocated.
Another major point raised by these teens was the fact that they should be able to approach their parents without the fear of getting scolded or punished. Sometimes when a teen makes a mistake, all he wants is his parents to listen and help them find solutions instead of just scolding them for their misdemeanors. This is the exact reason why most teens don't want parents having an eye on them, in case it results in a series of lectures and beatings.
While all of this is something most parents would already know and follow, considering it's all pretty basic, teens still feel the need to vocalize their needs. Furthermore, if parents are so well inclined with technology to actually use the Family Pairing feature, we're sure they'll be well-aware of all these needs and would fully comply.
TikTok has made a statement with this feature by covering everyone's needs and demands, being indeed a platform everyone can trust and rely on.
Read next: TikTok Publishes A Report Into User Trends That Influence Marketing And App Usage
