Like Instagram or facebook, Tik Tok appeared in 2018 and swept through the virtual world. Like its predecessors, this social network hosts humorous videos, short texts. Its specificity: the choreography. Adolescents, targets of this support, quickly answered the call. But are they the only ones?

The app is a hit with 9-13 year olds who have deserted Facebook since their parents joined the app. After Snapchat, Instagram, it’s Tik Tok who wins their membership, with more than 500 million users worldwide. In the first half of 2018, it was the most downloaded application on the App Store.

And unfortunately the young people were followed by several pedophiles, already identified, antisemitic remarks and at the end of June, an Indian “Tik Tokeuse” of 15 years committed suicide.

On June 30, Marlène Schiappa, Secretary of State for Equality between Women and Men, indicated that she had met with the management of TikTok.

She asks the company to take the necessary measures to protect the youngest users of the social network. “Following thousands of testimonies of situations of harassment, blackmail, sexual violence or request for naked photos listed under the hashtag #BalanceTonTikTokeur”, the secretary of state says “indignant”.

The interview between the leaders and the Secretary of State obviously ended in disallowance.

The social network indicated that a guide was available to parents to allow them “simply to understand the TikTok platform, to understand how it works, to master its codes”.

A pirouette which throws the responsibility on the parents and proposes to sensitize them to the functioning of social networks. “The day the parents get together, watch what’s going on and file complaints, it’s going to be very complicated for TikTok from a legal point of view. They are aware of their responsibility, ”said Marlène Schiappa.

By infiltrating the social network, Lilian, alias the YouTuber “The King of the Rats” was able to reveal the dangers of the system:

• a race for likes, the collection of comments;
• a form of exacerbated narcissism, to stage itself at all costs;
• a hypersexualization of the contents, children of 9 or 10 years old, pose, whereas theoretically, they do not even have the right to register on the platform;
• the presence of predators, which encourage young people to do more, to go further.

Tik Tok like all social networks and screens has an addictive power on the youngest. Without the protection of responsible and caring adults, they can quickly find themselves deprived of landmarks in this virtual world.

Children are not equipped to understand and react to what is ambiguous or insulting. Parents must constantly keep in touch with their child, and be interested in what he is doing, discussing it with him.

The consultation time should also be monitored.

Without demonizing these networks, which have enormous creative potential and allow children to discover web professions, it is important to make them aware of the dangers they can represent.

March 2021, the gendarmes of Haute-Garonne sound the alarm bells via the local press. “For several weeks, in high schools and colleges, circulating between students, via the social network Tik Tok, suggestions of” games “that may endanger, even in great danger those who participate”, they alert.

The objective of these challenges: to collect as many points as possible, over a fixed period, and thus win the jackpot serving as a prize for the “winner”.

According to the military, “these challenges encourage young people to consume alcohol, drugs and / or engage in sexual acts”.

The gendarmes warn: “As a reminder, this type of game has already claimed many victims (…) whether you are a student or a parent of a student, do not hesitate to talk about it with the staff of your school, they are present. to educate your children on a daily basis and prevent what seems to be a simple game for them from becoming a drama ”.

Tik Tok defends itself by specifying that these “challenges” between young people are not new. They previously took place on other social networks (Facebook, Instagram, etc.).

Without having learned any lessons and proposed safeguards, Tik Tok continues his advance in the depths of humanity by allowing a new challenge to pass, putting the dogs in danger of death. This time it is the vets who are stepping up to the plate.

A vet named Peter posted on TikTok showing a dog being treated for pancreatitis. His owners fed the poor animal several pieces of chicken covered in hot sauce, because they thought “his reaction was so funny.” And all uploaded to Tik Tok to create a buzz.

Meanwhile, the authorities are toughening the laws and recalling that the protagonists are easily identifiable and incur a 3-year fine and a € 30 fine. In the event of the animal’s death, the penalty is extended to 000 years in prison and a € 5 fine. Something to think about …