TikTok worries parents, pleases entrepreneurs

AMMAN — As TikTok, a video-sharing focused application, has seen a significant increase in popularity amid the pandemic, Jordanians of different ages and backgrounds have expressed mixed views about the popular social media platform.

“TikTok’s mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. We are building a global community where people can create and share, discover the world around them, and connect with others across the globe,” according to TikTok’s community guidelines.

“TikTok is my most used application at the moment,” 15-year-old Sanad Rakan told The Jordan Times on Saturday.

Rakan added that he spends at least two to three hours a day watching lip-sync videos (videos that match a person’s lip movement, thereby appearing to be saying the same words at exactly the same time).

“TikTok is an outlet where young people from different backgrounds and cultures express themselves,” Rakan said.

Nisreen Masad, a Jordanian in her early 30s, explained how TikTok has been on her phone for more than two years, but has only recently become more popular amidst the pandemic lockdowns.

Masad is not an avid TikTok user and often forgets it is on her phone. She added that TikTok has little to offer, as most videos are an “unnecessary distraction and take things too far”.

Most of the parents The Jordan Times contacted viewed TikTok as “a waste of time”. They said that it is the newest addiction of many youth and teenagers, which creates “a serious problem”.

A father of two teenage boys, who preferred to remain anonymous, said over the phone that most TikTok users are young people who needed a source of entertainment during the ongoing pandemic and widespread restrictions. They found TikTok and started posting most facets of their lives, which can be “dangerous”, according to the father.

“If parents allow their kids to download the application, they should detect any security vulnerabilities, make sure that all privacy settings are on, as well as limit the appearance of content that may not be appropriate for them,” he added.

According to TikTok’s community guidelines, the video sharing app is “deeply committed” to child safety and has “zero tolerance” for behaviour that could lead to child abuse or sexual exploitation.

The application’s Family Safety Mode links a parent’s TikTok account to their teen’s, according to the TikTok website.

It added that the parent can thereby control how long their teen can spend on the application, limit who can send messages to the account or turn off direct messaging and restrict inappropriate content.

Meanwhile, many Jordanian entrepreneurs and advertisers said that TikTok has helped them promote their businesses due to its accessibility and trendy videos.

“TikTok is a strong branding tool. Short videos made my accessories feel more personal, which helped me build brand trust,” said Maria Al Malak, a Jordanian accessories designer in her late 20s.