Best of the Web: Does your child have TikTok, and more

Most adults have never heard of TikTok. That’s by design

(Milovan Savic and Kath Albury, The Conversation)

Do you know if your child has the TikTok app, the social media platform that is aimed at preteens? According to the authors, most adult social media users don’t know about TikTok, and that’s part of the strategy of the platform. Formerly known as Musical.ly, TikTok bills itself as a ‘community of global creators’. In reality, the authors say, it has all elements of a social networking site.

Is you child losing interest in sport? It could be because they’re grouped by age

(Anna Kelsey-Sugg and Amanda Smith, Sporty, Radio National)

Sarah can’t bear to watch her son 14-year-old son play footy for the local under 15s. Many other players on the ground are much more physically developed – more like men, and they ‘hit pretty hard’. This is the problem on grouping kids by age in sporting teams – it advantages players born earlier in the year, and those who have developed ahead of others. This article looks at the work being done to factor in different developmental stages – and keep smaller kids playing sport.

Kindness Vs Cruelty: Helping Kids Hear The Better Angels of Their Nature

(Anya Kamenetz, NPR) 

Can we assume that children will show kindness? This exploration of the subject finds that in fact, children have to be encouraged to be kind. There’s plenty of evidence that humans are born with a leaning towards kindness. But there are also barriers – including children’s natural self-centredness. It’s up to parents, teachers and other adults to cultivate a more consistent kindness.

How to help kids fall in love with the outdoors

(Daryl Chen, ideas.ted.com)

You don’t need the big experience of camping trips in the wild to help your kids develop a love of nature. It can be the small things right at hand that can inspire and captivate. Drawing on a TEDx talk by paleontologist Scott Sampson, the article details three steps to help children connect with nature. The first is ‘Notice’ – that butterfly on a branch, a beautiful evening sky, what the clouds are up to.

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