TikTok's new feature will help parents keep their kids safe

Social media and digital platforms can have so many great benefits.

READ: "I don't know how to explain our financial situation to my teenage son?"

There are so many positive aspects, like being able to connect with someone even though they're far away.

But unfortunately, there is often a darker more negative side to social media.

READ: #TrendingWithTinashe: What's up with International Men's Day, #PrayForEmtee, and Caster Semenya

Cyberbullying is more common than ever before and it can have devastating effects on someone's life.

This lead to apps having to enforce rules and regulations, community guidelines as well as tools that make sure the safety of users, especially children, a top priority.

READ: This innovator places science labs in every student’s pocket

TikTok has now introduced its new Family Pairing feature in South Africa which allows parents the ability to customise the settings on their child's device.

Some of the settings include:

1. Screen-time management - parents can control how much time their children spend on the app per day, with three options ranging from 30, 60, and 120 minutes.
2. Restricted mode - parents can restrict children from viewing content they consider inappropriate.
3. Direct messaging can be completely switched off.
4. Parents have the option to choose whether or not their children have access to search for content.
5. Discoverability - when a teen account is created, it is automatically public and parents now have the choice of making it private.

READ: Can you hear that? It's the African Buzz!

"What spurred on these changes was the need to apply the same cautions online as we would in real life," says Boniswa Sidwaba, who is the TikTok Content Operations Manager, Africa.

We are very impressed with TikTok and their continuous effort to help protect future generations.

For more unmissable Carol Ofori moments, listen here:

Main image courtesy of iStock