TikTok discusses social media safety in Baltimore County amid litigation with Maryland schools

Social media company TikTok and Parent-Teacher Associations led a conversation in Baltimore County on Tuesday to help school communities set healthier social media boundaries.

Hundreds of parents, caregivers, and students attended the dinner and student panel at Eastern Technical High School in Essex to better understand the app and what options they have for safeguards.

"Our approach is to be positive, practical, and proactive, and really arm parents, caregivers, and families with the resources that they need so they can make the best decisions for their children," said Mikki Wilson, a PTA Connected ambassador.

Finding proper safety protocols on social media

Baltimore-based TikTok creator Erica Tate, who is also a parent, spoke about how she manages her daughter on the app. 

"There are things like keyword filters, time limits, just all kinds of resources that parents can use to make sure their teens aren't doing too much or spending too much time on the app, so it's definitely a concern of mine as a parent," Tate said.

Eastern Tech High School Acting Principal Bo DuVal said he's aware of the problems social media can cause, but hopes Tuesday's conversation can be a game-changer.

DuVal said that equipping students with the proper safety protocols now will protect them in the future.

"Over the years, we have noticed that when conflict does arise, very often it's associated with some kind of messaging with some social media platform," DuVal said. "If we can increase parent and student awareness around those platforms and how to engage with their students on that, I think that only benefits our community."

Lawsuits against social media platforms

The TikTok conversation came on the heels of allegations and lawsuits claiming that social media platforms can be addictive and harmful to students.

Last month, a Los Angeles jury found social media giants Meta and Google failed to warn children about the addictive natures of their platforms.

TikTok and Snapchat were a part of the original lawsuit but settled ahead of the trial.

Multiple Maryland school districts previously sued social media companies, including TikTok, over their addictive behavior, claiming they are damaging to students' mental health. 

Baltimore County was not one of those school districts, Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, Cecil, Howard and Harford counties were. Harford County is now representing Maryland school districts as part of an ongoing nationwide case against social media companies.