How Tik Tok is impacting rural India?

Tik Tok is currently one of the most popular applications available on iOS and Android. Users can download this app and make short videos of 3 to 15 seconds where they lip-sync to a song, dialogue or even act and dance. It is a Beijing based app that was launched outside China in 2017. In such a short time, it has become one of the most popular apps and everyone can be seen using the app. However, there are a variety of security issues that have cropped up with this app.

What are the concerns with TikTok?

The app has recently been banned by the US Army due to cybersecurity concerns.

It is feared that China is using the app to gain access to personal records of people. An allegation that has been denied by TikTok.

Other than security reasons, it has also put a lot of questions on the mental health and social impacts of the users.

As TikTok is easily available on any phone with an internet connection, it has become impossible for parents to keep a tab on what their children are watching and uploading.

Mostly girls who battle with body image issues get affected as they begin to question themselves even more and leads to dissatisfaction.

The fear of being liked or disliked based on what they upload run high amongst these teenagers. This often causes a lot of stress.
Risky behavior to ensure a better video has also been witnessed.

It is very easy to come in contact with predators and people who have ill intentions.

As teenagers are very gullible, whatever negative they see on the app can have an impact on them and they can also attempt those in real life.
Videos of self-harm, adult content have also been found on the app.

Social media, in general, have become very controversial today because of the impact they have on mental health, apart from security issues. Hence, it is very important to monitor such apps and how they are being used by teenagers.

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