In this post, I am going to be introducing to you the exciting and fast-growing platform TikTok. which hosts short videos that you can make and share via your mobile. Think extremely creative content alongside moments you don’t want to forget and share. It’s for users that are 13+ and if like me, you are a parent to under that age, you can block it on the App store. My 16-year-old was quite an early adopter and uses TikTok to both, see cool content and to share her own.
Using TikTok is easy, you simply follow the instructions on the screen to set up your profile. You need to add your phone number or email address and set a password.
I started an account and thought it would be perfect for my family travel adventures. If you are on TikTok or thinking of joining, and you also have a family, feel free to follow me – my username is @wetiktoktravel.
Start to discover content (in the ‘For You’ feed) by clicking on the home icon in the top left of the screen. When you watch and like content from creators that you love, similar videos will start to appear in your feed. To start creating your own content, click the + in the centre. You can make new videos or upload ones you’ve already made. You can add a whole range of different filters and adjust the speed of videos, which can give a very sleek and professional look. Everything is at your fingertips to use including the Raindrop filter and Hair-changing filter.
I love the hashtag challenges, which change frequently and often reflect what you like. Some of the most fun challenges involve music and dance, and one of my favourites is the #trianglechallenge. If your family is into sports, the new challenge #jointhestory (see above image) was launched in partnership with Wimbledon and offered the best video a chance to win tickets to the final. You can really see why TikTok is used so much and loved
There are so many funny videos which are done in a clever way. I’d recommend #petsoftiktok for your daily dose of cute! If like me, you love travel, check out the hashtag #travel (and many other variations of this) which is a great place to be inspired! For a funny one, I think #sadpepe is hilarious!
As with all social media, it would be remiss of me not to point out that it’s important to know of the safety features, which ensure the app is a safe and positive place to be on. I had a look at the features available and saw that you can make your account private, filter the comments that are left on your posts, and choose who can send you messages. You can access them within the ‘Privacy and Safety’ section of the app.
You can activate a restricted mode, and flag inappropriate content. Even after uploading each video, you can still make changes to its privacy settings. By enabling the Digital Wellbeing feature, you can control the time you spend on TikTok and limit the visibility of content that may not be appropriate for all audiences. This feature is password protected. If users reach their screen time limit they will need to enter a password to continue to use TikTok. I feel so reassured and now I completely understand the safety features in place.
We’ve decided to set ourselves a challenge over summer and we will be sharing TikTok videos of everything we get up to. We will be including music festivals, lots of sporting events, beach days and lots more fun in the sun adventures, so follow along if you like #WeTikTokTravel. I promise it will be worth it!
If you have any questions about TikTok or have any experiences and creators you would like to share with me, please do let me know.
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