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Beyond the endless scroll: Protecting your teen’s heart on TikTok
By 
Sarah Williams2025-04-28T08:25:00
TikTok and today’s teen
TikTok, known for its viral trends and challenges, has quickly become one of the most popular social‑media apps among young people. British teens spend an average of two hours a day on TikTok. With its creative, fast‑paced content and personalised algorithm, it’s no surprise that teens devote so much time to the app. However, such a time commitment inevitably shapes how they think, grow, and interact with the world.
TikTok features short, looping videos (15 seconds to 10 minutes), delivered through a hyper‑personalised “For You” page. Users engage through likes, shares, comments, and duets (creating videos alongside others’ content).
Videos cover a variety of interests, such as music, dance, comedy, tutorials, and social justice. This can encourage creativity and self‑expression and even offer the possibility of going viral, making TikTok particularly engaging for teens.
TikTok’s minimum age requirement is 13 years, although some features and content have additional age restrictions, such as starting a live video or sending direct messages. Despite this, many children younger than 13 actively use TikTok, with 50 percent of UK children aged 4‑18 reportedly using the app regularly.
So, how can Christian parents guide their teens to use TikTok wisely, safely, and faithfully?
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