TikTok is including one other factor to reassure mother and father of teenagers who use the app, with the institution of a brand new Youth Council who’ll share the younger consumer perspective on the important thing points and issues direct with TikTok administration.
TikTok has come beneath scrutiny in a number of areas over the danger that it poses to youngsters, and the content material that it exposes them to. Which is certainly one of a number of explanation why lobbying teams have known as for the app to be banned (and why it has been banned in some markets), however TikTok needs to additionally make sure that it’s listening to teenagers themselves when making its choices.
Which is the place the Youth Council is available in.
As defined by TikTok:
“The Youth Council was created is comprised of 15 teens aged between 15 and 18 representing a range of communities and countries including the US, UK, Brazil, Indonesia, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, and Morocco. The Youth Council’s priorities for 2024 include a focus on teen well-being and inclusion to help ensure TikTok continues to be a safe and accessible space for young people to show up as who they are.”
That, ideally, will allow extra consultant suggestions and perception, which is able to then higher inform TikTok’s product and content material choices.
On the similar time, TikTok has additionally launched new analysis, carried out with YouGov, which incorporates insights from over 12k teenagers globally, offering extra knowledge on how they’re approaching these similar issues.
“YouGov in partnership with ConnectSafely, looked to better understand how families have conversations about online safety. It found that the majority talk at least weekly about teens’ use of online services. However, the survey uncovered that just over two fifths (43%) of US teens acknowledge that they avoid certain conversations about the online world, and topics such as bullying and body image were some of the most uncomfortable for both teens and their parents.”
That are key areas of concern that, ideally, this new Youth Council can sort out, in offering extra context to assist mother and father and teenagers to deal with areas of potential hurt, in a extra cooperative and constructive method.
Certainly, in response to the primary assembly of the Youth Council, TikTok is already planning new schooling initiatives that concentrate on misinformation, AI-generated content material, and extra.
It’s an excellent program, which TikTok can even be trying to make use of as an indication of its willingness to spend money on having a extra constructive impression.
I imply, that gained’t assist it within the present ban talks, as these are extra centered on its hyperlinks to the CCP. However together, TikTok’s broader neighborhood efforts could assist to alleviate issues across the app.
