TikTok is a free social media platform that lets users create, share and watch short videos ranging anywhere from 15 seconds to 10 minutes in duration. The app gained notoriety for its viral dances, trends and celebrity cameos and can be a creative, fun platform for teens to enjoy. Now available in 75 languages, it has more than a billion active users worldwide (as of spring 2022) and is most popular with the under-16 age bracket. In fact, a 2022 Ofcom report found TikTok to be the most-used social media platform for posting content, particularly among young people aged 12 to 17.

The euthanasia debate, centring around people with either a terminal illness or an agonising incurable condition, is a complex one that’s been rumbling on for years. Of late, however, it’s gained a new dimension on TikTok, with some content creators gaining popularity for suggesting that assisted suicide should be available to those experiencing severe mental health issues.

Some of this material, often referred to as MAiD (medical assistance in dying), has accrued millions of views and – more worryingly – hundreds of thousands of likes, along with many supportive comments. It’s not the first time the platform has faced a dilemma over legal but potentially damaging content; this #WakeUpWednesday, check out our updated guide to TikTok.

The Call of Duty (CoD) series is a worldwide gaming phenomenon, with millions of copies sold every year. While 2021’s release, Vanguard, wasn’t quite as well received, this latest entry – Modern Warfare II – is proving to be hugely popular. A sequel to the recent Modern Warfare reboot (and not to be confused with the original Modern Warfare 2, from back in 2009), the game is an online shooter which features – unsurprisingly – extreme violence, rendered in realistic graphics. Amid the explosions and potential political nature of the plot, there’s much for parents to be aware of.

In the guide, you’ll find tips on a number of potential risks such as offensive chat/messaging, in-game purchases and addiction.

Defined as “ongoing hurtful behaviour towards someone online”, cyber-bullying makes its victims feel upset, uncomfortable and unsafe. In the digital world, it has numerous forms – such as hurtful comments on a person’s posts or profile; deliberately leaving them out of group chats; sharing embarrassing images or videos of someone; or spreading gossip about them. Cyber-bullying can severely impact a young person’s mental health … so, in support of Anti-Bullying Week, we’ve provided a list of tips to help trusted adults know what to look for and how to respond to it.

In the guide, you’ll find tips such as playing online games with your child, talking about your child’s online life and being prepared to listen without showing any judgement or criticism.