WhatsApp is a messaging app that lets users send text and voice messages, make voice and video calls, and share images, documents, and other media types, like stickers or GIFs. Users can create group chats and initiate conversations with contacts using their phone number. WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, and it’s no different for kids: Qustodio’s 2024 report on kids’ app habits showed that globally, WhatsApp was the most popular communication app for under-18s.

What can kids do on WhatsApp?

There’s a reason that WhatsApp has become one of the most-used messaging apps out there, for adults and teens alike. It has many different features, all designed to help us stay connected with friends and family, such as texting, voice messaging, and voice and video calls – for free. Users can send pictures, documents, and use interactive features such as polls, reactions, and stickers. Other features like location sharing can also be enabled to help find friends and family members on a map, or a designated meeting point.

To access the application, you need to have a phone number, which usually means that WhatsApp isn’t often on parents’ radars until their child gets their first phone. However, there are multiple ways that people use WhatsApp and riskier features that parents should be aware of. 

WhatsApp: the risks parents need to know

Making WhatsApp safer for kids and teens

WhatsApp requires users to be at least 13 years old before they sign up for the service (or more, depending on the individual requirements in each country). If your child is 13+ and has shown that they’re ready to use messaging services like WhatsApp, or need to use it to keep in contact with friends and family, here are a few of the steps you can take to make the platform safer for your kids:

Ensure your child only adds and interacts with contacts that they know in real life. To help prevent them from being added to groups, set the “Who can add me to groups” preference to “My Contacts”, or “My Contacts Except…”. While this can help prevent them from being added by numbers not in their contacts, they also need to be aware that each group on WhatsApp has a unique invitation link that can be shared anywhere online, via text message, email, or direct message. Make sure your child knows this, and teach them to think carefully and critically about joining different groups online, in addition to showing them how to block users and leave groups they don’t want to be a part of.

Use WhatsApp’s inbuilt security settings and customize your child’s app settings to make sure their privacy is protected, and the app experience is safer overall. There are various settings that you can alter:

• Ensure “Live location” is disabled, within both the device and app settings.
• Set “Last seen” and “Online” status to “Nobody” or “Contacts only”.
• Set “Status message” to “Contacts only” and ensure your child knows never to share content on other platforms outside of WhatsApp.
• Turn off the “Save to Camera Roll” feature on iOS, the Media visibility button on Android, and disable automatic downloads, preventing potentially inappropriate content from being saved to your child’s phone.

Disappearing messages can also be turned off, though this is more complex as it requires going in to individual chats, tapping on the contact’s name, and selecting “Off” in the section for disappearing messages. This can be changed by anyone in the chat at any time, so it’s important to talk to your child about the feature and how it works. Ensure your child understands that “disappearing messages” doesn’t necessarily mean that the content will disappear forever, and that they know never to post content that may be risky or could harm or hurt others.

As with all messaging apps, online bullying can be a potential risk. Although most children use WhatsApp to communicate in safe, fun, and positive ways, there have been incidents where participating in online group chats has led to bullying behavior. Before being allowed to use WhatsApp, your child should know and feel comfortable that they can come to you or another trusted adult for help if they ever feel upset or distressed while using the app. 

If your child is on the receiving end of online bullying, it could be helpful to take a screenshot of the communication they have found to be upsetting or inappropriate; however, parents should ensure their child knows never to take a screenshot of any image containing nudity, even if it is only for evidence. Make sure your child knows how to report cyberbullying, block users, and understands what it means to be kind on the internet. 

Two-step verification on WhatsApp involves creating a six-digit PIN. This PIN must be entered any time your WhatsApp account is registered on a new device. This adds another layer of security to your child’s WhatsApp account. It can protect against unauthorized access, for example, if someone tries to set up your child’s number on a new device, or if hackers get hold of their number or any other personal details. 

You can’t completely remove the risk that your child will receive problematic or inappropriate content, or be contacted by strangers online, but you can keep a close eye on their digital experience and help them to make sense of it, together. Qustodio’s monitoring features allow parents to be notified when they send or receive concerning messages. Qustodio’s AI-powered alerts monitor both traditional messaging and WhatsApp, letting you know right away if there’s something you need to be aware of, from bullying and self-harm to school absences and health worries. This helps to give your child privacy while also checking in on them when potential issues arise.

WhatsApp is one of the most commonly used communication apps globally, so in many countries it’s not a case of “if”, but “when” they use the messaging app. That said, parents should help their child configure WhatsApp settings and carefully consider age-appropriate use, along with frequently talking to them and supporting them with issues that can affect teens and young people on communication apps, such as bullying and the pressure to be present online. 

Spotify is a digital music streaming service, offering access to millions of songs, podcasts, and audio from artists all over the world. It’s on-demand radio for the streaming era, with the added bonus that over time, it becomes tailored to your listening interests, suggesting music, artists, and topics you might like, while curating playlists based on your listening history. Kids and adults alike love it for its ease of use, quick access to a vast online library of audio, and its high level of customization – but Spotify is also home to some hidden risks that parents need to explore.

What can kids do on Spotify?

With the basic (free) version of Spotify, kids can listen to the full library of music and podcasts, but with breaks for ads, and they’ll only be able to press the “skip” button a few times before it stops them from jumping from song to song. The free version also shuffles playlists, and you can’t listen offline. Why is this important? With kids’ listening in shuffle mode across a huge variety of songs, genres, and artists, it’s difficult for parents to keep track of what they’re listening to, and whether they’ll be served with songs, ads or podcasts where the lyrics or content is inappropriate for their age. 

Spotify does have a premium version, where parents may feel more in control: the paid subscription removes ads and skip limits, playlists are no longer shuffled, and kids can listen offline. Premium subscribers in some countries also have access to a range of audiobooks, which aren’t available in the free version. However, to manage explicit content, families have to purchase the more expensive “Family” subscription.

Spotify: the risks parents need to know

Making Spotify safer for kids and teens

Depending on your child’s age, there are different ways you can make Spotify safer for them to enjoy and explore. Across the age groups, it’s generally a good idea – if you can – to choose a premium subscription or use Spotify Kids if it’s available in your region. This will allow you to give young kids a more age-appropriate experience, or turn on explicit content filters. However, even if you can’t do this, there are still ways you can make Spotify safer for children and teens.

An easy way to ensure your child listens to music that you’re happy with is by creating playlists – which can also be turned into a family activity, where each family member curates music lists to their taste. You can add new songs over time, and there’s no limit to the amount of playlists you can create. Alternatively, if you don’t have time, or don’t want to create your own, you can explore the huge library of custom playlists and follow them from your child’s account.

To help shape your child’s algorithm, it’s a good idea to follow podcasts or artists that they enjoy, or that you think provide value. Similarly, you can hide artists by selecting “Don’t play this artist” from their profile, and adjust the algorithm by selecting “Not interested” on recommendations, or “Remove this from my taste profile” on playlists. This will help shape their feed, and give them recommendations that are more likely to align with your values, and their interests.

To filter out explicit content, you’ll need to have a premium family account. In your “Account overview” section on the Spotify website, select “Premium family”, and then head to the name of the family member you want to manage. There should be a toggle that reads “Allow explicit content”. Make sure this is in the “off” position. You may need to keep checking these settings, as kids can also switch it back on.

While it’s fun to see what friends and others are listening to, and Spotify’s social features can make listening a more collaborative experience, it makes sense to check in on their followers and block any they aren’t friends with in real life. You can also make playlists private, making it more difficult for their profile to show up in any search results. 

While it’s beneficial for kids to listen to music and audio, there’s a time and a place for everything, and you may not want your child to have access to apps like Spotify at any time – for example, when they’re supposed to be sleeping, or when they need to get up and out of the door for school. Qustodio’s routine feature allows you to schedule tech-free moments in the day, and block apps like Spotify when you’d prefer your child not to have access.

Music and audio play an important role in helping children to understand how to express themselves, and how they explore the world. Podcasts can entertain, educate, and provide an escape through humor, among many other advantages that access to audio content can provide for young people. Not allowing your child to access audio streaming services means they miss out on different opportunities, so it’s a good idea to be aware of the risks and be open about them with your children, letting you flag problems together before they become serious – meaning the whole family can enjoy music together!

While devices have become an indispensable tool for parents, teachers and children alike, it’s hard to shake off the creeping sensation that it’s becoming more and more difficult to manage time in front of screens, whether it’s educational or not.

Excessive screen time doesn’t just affect children: the whole family can benefit from screen-time management strategies, helping create a balance between work and life, and the technology we use in both situations. So how can you make it work?

Try these tips to help balance screen time and learning, designed to help your family develop healthy digital habits and make the most of technology together. 

1. Determine when, where and how screens are used

Creating a screen time routine based on your child’s age can be a useful tool for parents, while also helping children understand their own digital limits. When developing your family’s screen time routine, consider the times your children can use technology, the places they are able to access screens, and what they are able to use devices for. If you want to avoid setting timers and constant clock checking for when your kids can access certain devices, you may want to use a parental control tool to help set screen-free times of day – this way you can program a schedule ahead of time, and concentrate on your family moments!

For example, if your child has a device they have been given by the school, such as a Chromebook, make it clear they cannot use that device for personal use – no social media, no video streaming, and no web browsing that doesn’t directly relate to schoolwork. Likewise, if they have a personal device such as a cell phone, encourage them not to use it for school work. 

By helping them to separate their personal devices from their school devices, you’ll contribute to the lines not becoming blurred between usage for school life and home life. It also helps to consider where you and your kids can access your various devices. Maybe you would prefer video games to be played in common areas, while schoolwork can be done in the study, or at a desk in an allocated room. These rules can also help you as parents to keep work and home life separate, if you use a work device! 

2. Be selective about TV and video content

Many of us love to learn new things through TV programs and YouTube, and video content can certainly be a useful tool when it comes to digesting information and exploring new topics. But how much of the content uploaded to “educational” YouTube channels is really oriented to learning? While education has its very own category on the platform, regulation of the individual videos is difficult, which means much of the content under the category is not particularly educational in nature, and in some cases, the information detailed in them could be inaccurate. 

Some things you can do to help your children engage with more relevant TV series and better online video content include:

• Turn off the autoplay feature on YouTube. The videos suggested through autoplay are not always relevant to the original content watched, and in addition, autoplay encourages the user to watch video after video, making it easier for them to get off-topic, and harder to limit screen time.
• Research and review. Check out the TV shows that your child watches, and evaluate their educational value. By separating shows for their educational value and pure entertainment value (of course, there are shows that offer both!), you can allocate screen time for educational content only, then let your kids enjoy regular TV shows and movies during family screen time.   
• Learn what type of content your child enjoys watching. Tools such as Qustodio can help you to discover what type of YouTube videos they like. Qustodio’s YouTube parental controls allow you to see a list of the videos your child has watched, and the searches they make on the platform. This will help you understand what they’re interested in, and allow you to make suggestions if you believe the content isn’t appropriate for your child. 
• Watch shows together. Enjoy educational content together – whether it’s directly related to schoolwork or not! There are many interesting topics that your entire family can get involved in through documentaries, historical TV shows, and other quality content – and your kids will love being able to engage with you over their interests.

3. Set breaks for screen-free moments or activities

Spending hours in front of screens with no break can affect focus, sleep quality, and put strain on your child’s eyes, especially if they have to concentrate on schoolwork for a long period of time. To help your child balance screen time and learning, it’s better to take short breaks, such as 5-10 minute ones every hour, than to rest for a longer period after several hours of consecutive screen time. Try to help your kids find a natural break in their schoolwork to get up, go grab a glass of water, take a quick walk outside, or anything else that helps them disconnect and refocus. 

Offer up other activities that help your kids stay screen-free in other moments of their day, too – this will help them create an overall balance, so they don’t jump from screen time for school to screen time for their own enjoyment, with nothing in between. If your child doesn’t have any offline hobbies, encourage them to find something they enjoy doing that doesn’t involve a screen. Get outdoors together as a family, even if it’s just for a quick walk around the block, or do some exercise together. Involving yourself in your child’s screen-free moments is a good way to bond and set a good example for them when it comes to healthy digital habits. 

4. Avoid screen time before bed

It’s no secret that screens have an effect on sleep, but with so many devices, from video consoles to smart TVs, in the family home it can be difficult to switch off in the hours leading up to bed. The problem with screens is that they emit blue light, which affects the body’s natural production of melatonin – the hormone that signals to us it’s time for sleep mode to be turned on. Kids need a good night’s rest in order to be ready for the day ahead, so help them to properly wind down and get better quality sleep by keeping screens switched off up to an hour before bedtime. 

It’s also important to keep screens out of the bedroom as much as possible: when cell phones or other electronic devices are in the bedroom, it could be tempting for your child to check notifications if they wake up during the night, or they could spend extra time using their devices in their room before they go to sleep.

5. Manage your expectations of technology

The more we navigate our connected world, the more it becomes apparent that screen time is inevitable. Rather than focusing on the complete limitation of screen time, take steps to promote healthy digital habits as a family, and embrace the positive side of technology together. Kids also learn from what they see, so being a good role model when it comes to technology will help them understand what’s expected of them, too. 

Help your child to balance screen time and learning with other important activities, offering up other ways to learn and grow which don’t depend on technology, such as reading books or playing board games as a family. Like everything else in life, a healthy relationship begins with moderation – and screen time is no exception. 

It can be difficult to know when the time is right to switch off the electronics before heading off to bed. Children and parents alike are finding it more and more of a task to disconnect at the end of the day, struggling to create a bedtime routine that isn’t interrupted by the pings of social media or the latest update from grandma in the family group chat. Here’s how your family, from its littlest to its largest, can learn how to reduce screen time before bed, get better quality sleep, and improve everyone’s digital wellbeing.

Does screen time before bed affect sleep?

Your body has its own internal clock, controlled by the release of hormones. These hormones help tell your body when it’s time to go to sleep. The hormone cortisol is produced during the day, while the hormone which is naturally released at night, melatonin, comes into play when it starts to get dark. 

Screens such as those on smartphones, laptops, and TV sets emit something called blue light. Blue light has been shown to interfere with your body’s natural melatonin production, shutting off the “sleepy” signals it sends to your brain before bed. This exposure makes it harder for you to settle at night, keeping you awake for longer than you should be.

How long before bed should you turn off screens?

There are no specific guidelines surrounding the ideal time to turn off screens before bed, but giving your mind and body a significant rest period away from the distractions of technology is the goal. Aim to create a bedtime routine which is completely screen-free from start to finish – at least 30 minutes in length. The UK’s National Health Service recommends not letting children look at screens 30-60 minutes before going to sleep, as part of a healthy bedtime routine.

How to help young children reduce screen time before bed

Many families enjoy settling down to watch a good movie, or their favorite series in the evening. Once movie night’s over, though, try to give your family some space and time to relax before it’s the moment to hit the hay. If you have a regular bedtime for your kids, agree on a time that you as a family should turn the TV off for the night. If you’re in for a one-off movie session, start earlier than you normally would so you can ensure that precious hour of screen-free wind down starts after the credits roll.

Using a screen time tool is a great way to keep your family focused on daily routines. Qustodio allows you to create a screen time schedule for your children, where hours in the day are blocked out – for example, from 9pm to 10pm. During this time, they won’t be able to engage with their connected devices. For the path of least resistance, you could even make this a rule for the whole family, putting away your own devices and concentrating on family time together before bed. 

3. Create new bedtime rituals and habits

If you’re introducing a “no screen time before bed” rule, you may want to consider trying new activities that help you bond as a family and which allow your kids to wind down before they nod off. Reading a story together, writing a journal entry, or relaxing with a guided meditation or yoga session could be an excellent way of signaling it’s time to rest. These wind-down activities could then serve as excellent relaxation tools for your kids as they grow and become more independent.

Reducing screen time before bed for teenagers

In a survey run by the National Sleep Foundation, 96% of teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17 observed that they brought some kind of technology into their bedroom. The survey concluded that a deficiency in sleep was more likely to be present when both parents and children had electronic devices on in their bedrooms past bedtime.

When it comes to teenagers, setting limits for screen time before bed may seem more challenging, but there are several things you can do to help keep device usage minimal and encourage your child to develop healthier sleep habits. 

If your teenager is a serial scroller during those early morning hours, one option could be to create a device-free environment. Keep TVs, tablets, cell phones and even laptops out of their sleeping space – either round the clock, or past a certain time in the day if they prefer to do schoolwork in their room. Even if your child has a limit on screen time in the evenings, the simple fact that their cell phone or laptop is with them in the room adds the extra temptation to reach for it if they wake up during the night.

It’s a good idea to explain the reasons behind why screen time at night is a concern, rather than simply imposing new rules “for their own good”. Help your teenager understand the science behind how technology use affects their sleep, and why you care about it. Instead of just setting a rule, talk to your teenager regularly about how their device use makes them feel. 

Asking them questions such as “When you stay up and scroll on your phone at night, how does it affect you the next day?”, or “How does it make you feel if you’re without your phone for several hours?” could encourage them to be more mindful of their device usage and the consequences of their technology habits.

Screen time isn’t just limited to the bedroom. Maybe your teenager doesn’t have a structured or set bedtime routine (if you can, it’s a good idea to encourage them to have one), but it’s recommended to limit device usage in the hours before bedtime, wherever they are in the house. This will reduce their exposure to blue light and help signal that it’s time to wind down for the night. 

For an easy way to set screen time limits that the whole family can follow, try a parental control tool that restricts device usage during certain times of day. By using a tool that applies the same rules daily, you can forget about looking at the clock or accidentally allowing your child to run over their limit – this can all be taken care of in the background! 

No matter your child’s age, you’re often the example for model behavior, so it’s a good idea for your entire family to become more mindful of how you use devices before bed. If you’re blocking screen time on your child’s devices before they go to bed, set your own phone or laptop down during that time, so they see how you engage in healthy screen time habits yourself. Turn the TV off after a certain time each day, and leave your cell phone out of the bedroom – whatever helps your teenager recognize the effort you’re putting in as a family to reduce screen time before bed, and enjoy better quality sleep. 

Tips for the whole family to get better sleep

By practicing good sleep hygiene, you’ll find it much easier to fall asleep…and stay asleep! Here are some easy ways your family can prioritize sleep and improve sleep quality:

• Set a regular bedtime routine for your kids. By going to bed at roughly the same time every day, and by following a more structured routine, they know what to expect and will (hopefully) fall asleep more easily. 
• Regularly spend time outdoors in natural light. This will encourage them to feel more alert during the day, and sleepier at night.
• Avoid nap times, except in very young children. If your child no longer needs a specified nap time, encourage them to avoid napping during the day so their bodily clock isn’t affected by midday sleeping.
• Get moving! Regular physical activity and exercise helps improve mood, stress, and increases the chances of getting a good night’s sleep.

What are calculator vault apps?

There are many different versions of calculator vault apps now available for download, but they all have one thing in common: their goal is to act as a front for private images and files. Users can upload secret pictures and videos to calculator vault apps, hidden behind a password. In order to access these private files, the user enters a password into the calculator, which they will have established at setup. This allows them to access the private files inside and upload new files that the user wishes to keep a secret. 

Why kids use fake calculator apps

As we live in an increasingly connected world, helping children stay safe by monitoring their online activities is something most parents now do regularly. As a natural consequence, some children may feel that their privacy is being invaded, and they may look to calculator vault apps as a space to hide the images and files that they don’t want people to know about – either parents, friends, or siblings. Adults could easily use them too, to hide pictures that they don’t want others seeing in their camera roll, for example. 

While this might sound innocent in practise (everyone feels the need for privacy), many of the images that are uploaded to calculator vault apps are sexual in nature. Sexting is becoming a more common practice among young people today, with 14.8% of 11-17 year olds having sent a sext, and 24.7% receiving one. Calculator vault apps offer a place for young people to hide nude pictures, screenshots of sexting conversations, contacts they don’t want you to see in their address book, and even apps that they can use to send sexts.

In addition, some calculator vault apps use the phone’s camera to take a snapshot of an “intruder”, should an incorrect password be entered. This snapshot is stored in the vault to show the user who has been trying to access their files. 

Are calculator vault apps safe?

In addition, the very nature of calculator vault apps renders them unsafe for children, as they may be using them to hide sexual images. Under 18s are not able to give consent for their naked image to be created or shared, so if they have one on their phone, stored in secret, this is against the law. Children may not understand the severity of taking and sharing nude images, or engaging in sexting, so whether you suspect your child is using a calculator vault app or not, it’s a good idea to speak about consent and online activity with your child, to help them understand the implications of their behavior online. 

How to spot a fake calculator app

Because calculator vault apps look like a regular calculator, it’s very hard to tell just by looking at the icon. One of the best ways to check if the calculator installed on your child’s phone is real or not is to check the calculator’s memory size. If the app is larger in size than 30MB, it could be a signal that the calculator is in fact a vault app.  

How you do this depends on the type of phone: on an iPhone, you can head to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. On an Android, you’ll find it listed under Settings, where you’ll want to check “Storage”.

2. See how many calculator apps your child has on their phone

It might seem obvious, but if your child has more than one calculator app on their phone, one could be a private vault app. However, some children need to use scientific calculators for homework purposes, so the presence of an extra calculator doesn’t always mean there’s something to worry about.

If you can see the name of the app on your child’s phone, look it up. The app description will show you if the calculator is real, or if it’s a way to keep private files secret. 

Typing in “vault app” on the app store will give you a long list of calculator vault options for download. However, if your child has already downloaded one of these apps, then instead of “Download”, the writing will read “Open” on the app itself. 

• They hide their phone from you when you enter the room
• They quickly close an app or tab when you enter the room
• They make regular requests for privacy, which they didn’t make before
• They are unwilling to show things on their phone or tablet to other people
• They are suddenly using their device much more frequently

What should I do if I think my child is using a calculator vault app?

Parental control tools such as Qustodio can help you screen the apps that your child downloads, and offer you insights into the time spent on the apps they already have downloaded onto their phone. 

Above all, it’s important to help your child understand the risks of sharing inappropriate content and what it means for them to engage in sexting. Not all children are aware of what sharing nude images or sexual messages means for them: as it is considered to be child pornography, sending explicit material which includes a minor is illegal – even if the sender is under 18. To help your child understand the consequences of their actions, speak to your child about sexting from an early age. 

To help develop your child’s trust in you, keep family communication open and honest. By creating an environment where your child feels they aren’t judged, and where it’s safe to confide in you, you can encourage them to come to you for advice or seek out your help if they feel uncomfortable online. The more your child feels they can converse with you and rely on you, the less likely they are to want to keep things private – and in turn, see less need to make use of calculator vault apps. 

As a kid, the only people who could bear witness to your flawless interpretation of Bye Bye Bye were your long-suffering parents, forced into the living room for yet another Friday night performance. Today, for a teenager with a smartphone, that audience can be anyone, anywhere, at any time. Thanks to the TikTokification of social media, dances, routines, and viral challenges have swept the internet, with each one becoming more daring than the last. 

While some challenges on social media are fun and positive, like learning the latest dance routine, or asking grandma about the true meaning behind select emojis, the sad truth is that many of the challenges circulating on social media are potentially dangerous, harmful, or even deadly. Here’s how you can talk to your child or teenager about the content and consequences of the challenges they might be seeing on TikTok.

What is a TikTok challenge?

A challenge on TikTok is a call for people watching the video or trend to get involved and take some form of action. From learning a new dance move to recording how many pushups you can do in 60 seconds, there’s a challenge for everyone. 

TikTok challenges really took off during the 2020 pandemic, when people around the world suddenly found themselves at home with no outside stimulation. Turning to the internet and social media for companionship, challenges were a fun way to pass the time while connecting with people across the globe.

How can you keep track of trending challenges?

What’s popular on social media changes from one day to the next, so it’s difficult for parents and guardians to stay on top of trends unless they’re very much in the loop. Some simple ways to keep up with the fast pace of online content include: 

1. Use the same platforms your children do, so you understand how they work. While the TikTok algorithm is based on your personal views and interests, you can still check trending tags, videos, and users. 
2. Talk to your tween or teen about their interests, and the kinds of videos they watch. Offer them a safe space where they can share what they like and dislike without feeling judged by you. This way, they’ll be more likely to come to you if they see something that makes them feel uncomfortable or which they feel might be dangerous. 
3. Make use of TikTok’s native parental controls: Family Pairing. These allow families to set screen time limits, restrict searches and inappropriate content, block TikTok LIVE, and hide their profile from discovery. 

Why are TikTok challenges dangerous? 

Not all social media challenges are dangerous. Some are pretty innocent, and TikTok users have the chance to feel part of a community through them, trying out different accents, imitating Dolly Parton, or cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Sadly, many TikTok challenges encourage others to join in with or imitate foolish, and often risky behavior. 

Dangerous or questionable challenges over the years have included:

• Slapping a teacher at school
• Cooking chicken in NyQuil
• Swallowing laundry detergent tabs (Tide pods) 
• Eating a spoonful of ground cinnamon 
• Excessively consuming over-the-counter medication, like Benadryl (an antihistamine)
• Setting objects, or body parts, on fire
• Flicking pennies into electrical outlets

…and the list, unfortunately, goes on. While teenagers and young people have always been up for goading one another into risky behavior, social media lets dares and challenges run riot, reaching new audiences outside kids’ friendship groups and even across the globe. 

What is the most dangerous TikTok challenge?

One of the most notorious challenges, “The Blackout Challenge”, was a social media take on a popular playground dare. Participants in the challenge are encouraged to hold their breath until they pass out. The Blackout Challenge has so far resulted in over 15 deaths, all children under 12.

Why do children want to do these challenges?

Online peer pressure can be difficult for young people to avoid these days, and this can certainly play a part in why children feel the urge to take part in risky challenges. Challenges allow young people to feel connected, feel part of something, and try out new, fun things – until they become deadly.  

“Kids don’t yet have a fully formed pre-frontal cortex in their brain,” child psychologist Dr. Nicole Beurkens states, speaking to Qustodio on the effects of digital peer pressure. How does this affect their decision-making process as they choose whether to be involved in the latest TikTok trend? “This doesn’t allow them to think through and weigh the consequences of their actions, especially in the context of pressure from peers,” she continues. 

Challenges can also start as a way for kids and teens to draw attention to themselves. Social media is the world’s largest playground, and it’s not easy to get yourself seen or heard when up against so many out there. Doing risky, silly or stupid things can be a way for people to get themselves noticed, meaning more views and more interaction. 

How to talk to children about TikTok challenges

1. Help them understand what peer pressure means

Everyone feels the need to follow or blend in with the crowd sometimes, or do the same as others. This is a completely normal feeling, but it’s not something we always have to act on, or should, especially when risky behavior is involved. Try asking your child if they’ve ever felt tempted to do something they’ve seen online. Why did they feel this way? What motivated them to want to join in?

2. Give them examples of challenges that have gone wrong

While it’s not a particularly pleasant subject to breach, talking to children about the consequences of certain TikTok challenges can help open their eyes to the dangers that are out there.

3. Encourage them to pause before they post 

Whether it’s a comment, a photo, or a video, encourage children to take a moment and think about what they’re saying or uploading, and think through some of these ideas:

• Is what I am saying or doing hurting anyone? 
• Why do I feel the need to upload or post this? 
• Could this have any negative consequences? 
• Is this something I’ll regret in the future?

While these can be difficult questions to ask, especially when the impulse of social media strikes, they can help teens to take a moment and reflect – which sometimes is all it takes. 

4. Be a safe space for your kids 

Make sure that your children know that they can come to you and count on you for advice and an open ear, without judgment. The more you engage with them and talk to them, creating an encouraging, open and honest space, the more likely they are to come to you when they feel uncomfortable or are unsure about something they’ve seen on the internet. 

Communication goes both ways, too. Sharing your own experiences and offering real-life examples can also be a great way for your children to feel more understood, and it can help you build trust with them. 

Through a combination of social media parental controls or wellbeing tools, family trust, patience, and openness, along with consistent communication about the dangers and potential benefits of social media, you’ll be well on your way to guiding your children safely along their digital journey.