Experts warn of negative impacts of social media on kids, urge parents’ monitoring

AMMAN — TikTok might pose “serious threats to the long-term mental health and emotional well-being of its young users”, experts suggest. 

“TikTok is split into two main feed sections,” IT expert Shaher Mustafa told The Jordan Times.

The first section, Mustafa added, is the “Following” feed, which only displays videos created by users that the account holder follows. The second section is the “For You” feed, which is a stream of suggested videos based on the account’s activity and the type of content users typically watch.

“Things can get problematic when it comes to the ‘For You’ feed,” he said, as this section, Mustafa claims, can sometimes allow users, including young people, to be exposed to videos that contain inappropriate content. 

“Inappropriate content includes violent videos, depressing videos or simply videos that should not be watched by kids,” Mustafa added. 

However, he stated that the app can also be a source of creativity and fun for users.

Meanwhile, Sociologist Hussein Khuzai told The Jordan Times that TikTok allows children to observe adulthood in a non-monitored way.

“Children on social media platforms are subject to potential emotional and mental harm,” Khuzai added.

Khuzai stated that children on social media are more exposed to improper language, violent acts, cyberbullying and sexual content.

“Kids mimic whatever they see, whether online or what their parents do,” Khuzai stated.

He added that kids are surrounded by adults who spend hours online,

scrolling through these platforms. “They would think that since their

parents are on these apps, they can do so as well,” said Khuzai.

“Parents should be fully aware of the content their kids are following,”

Khuzai added.

He stated that these videos affect the behaviour of children, and that the younger generations are more likely to try out new things, as they are courageous and love to explore. 

“They are also less likely to think of the consequences of their actions.” said Khuzai.

“Tiktok poses many threats to young users, from the ability to communicate with strangers to cyberbullying,” social media expert Bayan Odeh told The Jordan Times.

Odeh said that one of the dangers of the app is the high potential for communicating with strangers runs high, as accounts created by users over the age of 16 are set to public by default.

“This means they can communicate with anyone and everyone they encounter on the app, including strangers,” Odeh added. 

Accounts for kids between the ages of 13 and 15 are set to private by default, but “this restriction can easily be bypassed by entering a false birth date when registering for an account,” said Odeh.

TikTok has settings that can be adjusted to ban other users from viewing a profile, commenting or downloading a video. However, the possibility of contact with strangers will still exist, she added. 

“Kids on TikTok and other social media platforms are prone to cyberbullying,” said Ayah Wael, Social Media and Marketing Expert, in an interview with The Jordan Times.

Wael added that “body shaming” is a specific type of cyberbullying that’s increasingly prevalent on the app.

“Yong users, especially teen girls, believe that they should dress, weigh as much as and look like social media influencers,” she said.

“Body shaming takes a toll on younger users who are still developing mentally and physically. It affects their self-esteem, confidence and the way tha they view themselves,” Wael added. 

Parents of Tiktok users should also be concerned about online safety and data privacy, she said, adding that “what information is being shared about them online should be of caregivers’ concern”. 

Wael stated that Tiktok is an interactive and engaging platform for users, making it particularly attractive to kids. 

“This is exactly why marketing companies are now giving extra attention to this app,” said Wael.

Meanwhile, Rawan Kayed, a mother of two, told The Jordan Times that this generation of children is growing up in the age of social media, and that “this is a fact that we cannot change”. 

“What we can do as parents is identify the dangers that TikTok and all other social media platforms pose to children,” said Kayed.

According to Kayed, parents need to “filter” what kids see on the screens, especially content “which takes a toll on children’s mental health and well-being”.

“I’m worried about what exactly kids are getting into,” Hana Omar, a mother of three, told The Jordan Times. 

Omar added that her youngest child, aged 11, is feeling left out because he’s the only student in his classroom that’s not on social media. 

“Parents should not allow their kids to be on social media,” Omar claimed.

Kids are vulnerable, she added, and having them post everything they do online makes them even more vulnerable to predators.