‘TikTot’ Entrepreneurs: Marketing expert explains how TikTok could educate younger users
New data from Ofcom reveals TikTok is being used by a younger audience than expected, despite the app being restricted to those aged 13 and older.
Whilst there are concerns it may be affecting the attention span of very young users, Sam O’Brien, CMO of performance marketing platform Affise, believes it will in fact help educate younger years to develop valuable entrepreneurial skills.
“Tiktok has become one of the biggest platforms for millennials, and there is an increasing number of content creators turning to the popular mobile app to deliver fun and educational video content.
“Whilst youngsters will receive standard education, I would argue that exposing them to a platform which encourages entrepreneurship and education through short-form video content could build different skills at a much earlier age.
“Not only will content on the app help teach young children and teens how to market, influence, and sell products through ads, but it will also give them a taste of the power of social media and what it can do for brands and businesses.
“The short-form video platform could also potentially help boost a youngster's confidence to step into the world of business and social media marketing, steering a career path in their early stages of development.
“Content on TikTok however can be also seen as harmful and sensitive to young users, therefore it is important for parents to ensure they are using the device-level parental controls provided by Apple and Android for the app, and explaining the dangers that come with any social media app.
“TikTok has several educational and safety resources for parents which instruct them on how to use Restricted Mode - a setting that limits the appearance of content that may not be appropriate for all audiences. This useful feature can be turned on when Family Pairing is enabled.”
Cover photo By golubovy on Canva
