GEORGE TOWN: Tik Tok – meant only for users 13 years and older– still see many younger children signing up for it. And while some parents knowingly allow their underaged children to have an account, some others are not as liberal.
It has left parents divided.
Wellness officer, Tan Ai Ling, 42, said she does not allow her 13-year-old daughter to have a TikTok account as she is too young for her to be on social media platforms.
"There are too many nonsense teachings and posts and children her age are just too young to be exposed to such social media platforms.
"Now is not the time...maybe in a few years time when she is much older and understands things better," she told the New Straits Times.
Tan said she monitors her daughter's social media use by turning on safe browsing and using the same email account for browsing.
Freelancer Leong Kit Yeng, 42, who has two children, aged three and seven, said they do not have any TikTok accounts, adding that she might allow them to have one under her supervision.
"I am okay with my children having their own TikTok account but under very strict parental supervision," she added.
For services sector employee Zainulfaqar Yaacob, 41, he said his daughter, Insyirah Zainulfaqar, now 13, already has her own TikTok account, which she uses and manages entirely.
He said, in this time and age, it is not possible to keep children sheltered from the vast effects of modernisation.
"Even if we can block their access at home, the same cannot be said at school. So, for me, there is no need to be too strict in monitoring.
"The most important thing is to teach our children to use TikTok for beneficial things like learning things outside the classroom such as mathematics, science and so on.
"At the same time, we can teach them financial management by buying essential goods that are worth the price (value for money) on TikTok compared to physically shopping at supermarkets and others.
"I always remind my child that the mass media (including TikTok) is like a sharp knife...it can be used for useful things like cutting vegetables and it can also be used to harm yourself and others if you get cut or injured," he said.
Zainulfaqar said young children, especially those below 13, needed to be given guidance and not be nagged all the time because they are at an inquisitive age.
Zainulfaqar said Insyirah has had her own TikTok account since PdPR (home-based teaching and learning method) was administered back in 2021 during the pandemic.
Prior to that, he did not allow his child to even hold a cellphone.
"In fact, PdPR expedited the change in our children's communications behaviour," he added.
Recently, the Education Ministry said it would discuss with the Communications Ministry on the TikTok account ownership by children under the age of 13.
Minister Fadhlina Sidek said they needed to get more information before coming out with any guidelines on the matter.
This came after Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said TikTok account ownership by children under the age of 13 was among the issues being considered to be raised with the management of the social media platform.
He said there was some concern regarding the ownership of TikTok accounts by this age group as the TikTok community guidelines explicitly state that users must be 13 years and older to have an account.
Apart from that, Fahmi said he would also discuss with the Attorney-General if it was necessary to take legal action against TikTok's management regarding account ownership by children, as has been done by other countries.
