The TikTok documents: Stripping teens and boosting 'attractive' people

>One document shows one TikTok project manager speaking candidly about the time-limit feature’s real goal: “improving public trust in the TikTok platform via media coverage,” the TikTok employee said. Our goal is not to reduce the time spent.”

TikTok's response is to claim quotes like this are out of context, but they also seem unable or unwilling to provide the context in which statements like this are OK.

My friends with young kids 3-11 all let their kids use iPads. All of the kids seem well adjusted, able to read (a worry I saw), etc. I have no idea what limits they have but the kids are social, they don't hide on their iPad when people visit but instead interact with the parent's friends.

The point being, unlike lots of comments here, I haven't seen any evidence of ill effects of young kids have access to electronics. I have no idea what these parents do and what limits they place, only that they didn't need to ban electronics from their kids lives to raise good kids.

Of course it's anecdata. One family, 2 daughters, 5 and 8. Another, son 11. Another son 11, daughter 7. Another, daughter 3.

I have also seen the opposite. Kids who can't function if their screen is taken away and are anti-social. But given the other kids, it doesn't seem to be the screen that's the problem.

Curious how tech-oriented parents here are approaching TikTok et al with their kids. My kid isn't walking yet, but for when the time comes, I'm not sure how I'll limit exposure to what I'd call "pure trash", but also give them freedom and the ability to 'fit in' with (inevitably) the rest of their friends using this stuff.

I know many 90s kids that had a complete ban on video games at home, myself included. I am now pleasantly surprised that while I find many games impressive and can appreciate them as feats of engineering, art and game design… I don’t get a level of enjoyment out of them that would risk addiction or avoiding other life responsibilities. It’s never the first or even the top tenth choice of activity to do on a day off. I may have lost out on many a great experience, but the amount of free time I’ve gained relative to many men my age is worth it to me.

Algorithms focusing on beautiful people is no surprise. Look at any social media and the attractive ones gain more attention, this means better engagement thus screen time.

I will review tiktok is bad china is bad tiktok algorythim is bad so china must sell tiktok to USA ,with the algorythim,because that is good

It is absolutely mind boggling to me that even when we are aware of all these issues there isn’t an immediate reaction to it in terms of just shutting these platforms down till they fix their issues

Is any ad-fueled corporate social media any different? Talking about shit such as Twitter, FB, Instagram, etc.

I mean, they all use underhanded tactics and psychological tricks to keep you hooked and scrolling, TikTok is far from being a sole evil here.

I believe the lawsuit brought by the states against TikTok is a part of a broader mission to arrest control over TikTok in the US at a sweeter price.

And while I don’t think TikTok is an angel, i see the whole consolidated effort at “taming” TikTok as being for show and claim of positive reformations. It’s disingenuous. It’s deceptive. It’s conspiratorial.

I am obviously a bit early, as my oldest is only 7, but my wife and I decided to force ourselves to delay getting our kids (7 & 4) their own media device, such as an iPad and go straight to a laptop when it becomes a necessity in school. My 7 year old, with immense attention issues, is obsessed with reading and being creative, I could not imagine her being at her reading level if she had an iPad or some other form of digital media consumption. I can not imagine how rotten her brain would be if she had access to Tiktok or Instagram.

> "took active steps to promote a narrow beauty norm"

People are going to flip out when they hear how Hollywood does casting. /s

I'm a 90s kid.

My parents didn't let us have a TV. TV shows were a social object: in the 90s you'd come to school the next day and discuss what you watched. You signaled your in-groups by what shows you liked and what you didn't like.

I had none of that.

I had friends, but only because I got very good at hiding my oddities. I was disconnected from my peers and learned a set of behaviors that have fucked up a lot of relationships longer term.

Addiction to social media is terrible. But to those who ban your kids from social media entirely: how are you addressing the fact they will be isolated from their peers because of that.