Ep. 46 | TikTok: China’s Digital Fentanyl

While many are familiar with the national security case for forcing ByteDance to divest or banning TikTok altogether, its assault on America’s children is just as alarming. TikTok holds unprecedented control over the content consumed by our children, exposing them to dangerous or even illegal content, including anti-American propaganda, antisemitism, pornography, and drugs. TikTok is not just a national security issue; it is a question about how technology will impact the future of our society. Clare Morell, Fellow and Director of the Technology and Human Flourish Project at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, and author of The Tech Exit: A Practical Guide to Freeing Kids and Teens from Smartphones, and Bethany Mandel, co-host of the Mom Wars podcast and newsletter and co-author of Stolen Youth: How Radicals Are Erasing Innocence and Indoctrinating a Generation, join Flash Focus to discuss the risks that TikTok pose to America’s children and how to fight back. Watch episode live on YouTube.(2:11) When Did You Realize How Bad TikTok Is for America’s Children? (5:44) TikTok vs. Instagram(6:48) TikTok and Digital Fentanyl(8:22) TikTok’s Harmful Content(10:50) Antisemitism on TikTok(12:25) Policy Considerations(16:00) Would a TikTok Sale Mitigate Its Harm on Children? (18:58) Managing Children’s Relationships With TikTok and Social Media(25:50) How to Push Back Against TikTok’s Grip on America’s Children