TikTok, an Educational Tool? Yes, but Only in China

With more than a billion users worldwide, TikTok is one of the most used applications in 2024. However, between the Chinese version of this platform and the application offered internationally, the differences in content provided to minors raise questions.

Established in the social media landscape since September 2016, TikTok is a mobile application offering short videos (from a few seconds to a few minutes), created and shared by various users of the platform. A descendant of Musica.ly (acquired by ByteDance, the Chinese giant in new technologies, in November 2017), TikTok was created in China by Zhang Yiming, the former CEO of ByteDance.

TikTok is one of the most favored applications among young people: in France, 52% of 16-25 year olds had an account on this platform in 2021.

TikTok at a Glance

Are you familiar with this application? Skip directly to the next section 👇

Upon opening the application, users by default land on the "For You" page in the "Home" tab. Videos created by other TikTokers follow one another.

TikTok Interface with an Example of Video and Text Broadcasted by the Platform

Users can choose to watch the videos if they like them, or skip them by scrolling if they do not. This manipulation can be repeated indefinitely. Although many contents make up the platform, dance and music are part of TikTok's DNA.

Users can also click on the "Friends" tab, in order to view only the content of the people they are subscribed to.

TikTok Interface with the Friends Tab Activated Containing an Example of Content (Programming of the 2024 Festivals)

The "Discover" page allows users to search for trending hashtags (keywords), contents, users, and songs.

The "+" button allows users to record themselves making a video.

In China, an Educational and Highly Regulated Application

China, the country of origin of TikTok, does not use the same version of the application as other countries. The domestic version is called Douyin.

The country has expressed its desire to protect Chinese minors under the age of 14 from the addiction this social network can cause. This is reflected by the implementation of a "youth mode", which automatically switches minors under 14 to educational and entertaining content related to sciences, history, art... the goal: to inspire vocations among teenagers and enable them to learn.

China also imposes a daily usage limit of 40 minutes on minors under the age of 14. Furthermore, they cannot access the application at night (between 10 PM and 6 AM).

In the Rest of the World, Little Control Over Content

This last feature does not exist in the international version of TikTok. On the contrary, no usage time limit is imposed. As for the content highlighted, it is the polar opposite of what Douyin offers to adolescents under 14 years old : lip-syncs to famous songs, dances, acting (acting), prank (prank), challenges (challenges issued to users on the app)…

Outside of China, TikTok still imposes an age limit on its users: it is set at 13 years. But despite the verifications set up during registration (date of birth, email address, and phone number are required), it is very easy to access the social network by lying about one's age. The platform reserves the right to ban an account if it believes that it is being used by a minor under 13 years of age.

Beyond the difference in content for minors under 14, which can be particularly dangerous and harmful for the youngest users using the international version of TikTok, it seems that the algorithm plays a significant role in delaying the development of cognitive functions in children and adolescents.