TIKTOK, MCMC AND CONTENT FORUM LAUNCH PARENTAL ADVISORY FOR TEENS’ DIGITAL WELL-BEING

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 (Bernama) -- The #ThinkTwice Parental Advisory has been launched today to help parents safeguard the digital safety of teenagers through a collaboration between TikTok, the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (Content Forum) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

TikTok, in a statement, said the initiative was part of the ongoing #ThinkTwice digital literacy campaign, which emphasised a community- and evidence-based approach to online safety.

The campaign also stresses the importance of shared responsibility among parents, digital platforms and policymakers, while respecting children’s rights to access information, express opinions, protect their privacy and enjoy freedom of thought.

Content Forum chief executive officer Mediha Mahmood said teenagers’ digital well-being required family support, as online habits and culture were shaped by a healthy home environment.

“Online safety should not mean restricting teenagers’ access to the digital space. The internet is merely a reflection of real-world social issues. Culture is shaped by communities, and good habits begin at home.

“We must empower parents to nurture creativity while fostering vigilance, encouraging healthy routines and building meaningful conversations with their teenage children,” she said.

TikTok Malaysia’s Public Policy head Firdaus Fadzil said challenges faced by teenagers such as bullying, peer pressure, mental health concerns and harmful behaviours were not new phenomena, but parental roles remained crucial in guiding them.

“Parents and guardians are the primary guides as they are closest to and most familiar with their children’s needs. Therefore, we aim to equip parents with the knowledge and tools to build a responsible digital generation so that our teenagers are better prepared to navigate the online environment safely,” he said.

He said the #ThinkTwice guide helped parents play an active role through TikTok’s comprehensive safety features, in line with global research findings.

In the same statement, MCMC said the guide complemented its Internet Safety Campaign and supported the government’s efforts to create a safer and more responsible digital ecosystem.

According to MCMC, platforms like TikTok played an important role in protecting users while respecting children’s rights to access information and express their views appropriately for their age, in line with Malaysia’s commitment to strengthening online safety standards.

“Initiatives such as #ThinkTwice equip families with practical tools, guidance and awareness to ensure Malaysian teenagers can explore, learn and connect online with confidence and safety,” it said.

The guide also introduces three practical tips to help parents enhance teenagers’ digital safety.

The first tip: Monitor teenagers’ digital activities — through the ‘Family Pairing’ feature, parents can link their accounts with their teen’s account to monitor activity, receive upload notifications and view usage time through the ‘Screen Time Dashboard’.

TikTok also automatically sets private accounts for users under 16 based on its “Safety by Design” principle, while children under 13 are not allowed to create an account.

The second tip: Adjust settings according to teenagers’ needs, including setting screen time limits, disabling notifications, choosing between private or public accounts, managing direct messages and personalising content frequency via the ‘Manage Topics’ feature.

The third tip: Initiate conversations on digital literacy by encouraging open dialogue on trends, risks or uncomfortable online experiences, while helping teenagers understand how to block, report and interact safely.

Through the #ThinkTwice knowledge hub, parents can access reference materials on fraud prevention, mental well-being and digital literacy guidance to strengthen teenagers’ judgement and online resilience.

-- BERNAMA