The year is 2025, and TikTok, a social media platform focusing on short-form videos, is everywhere. I personally do not use TikTok, but I have a tendency to scroll Instagram reels (TikTok’s evil cousin) in my spare time. The algorithm definitely knows I am in the Elementary B.Ed. Program, as many of the videos I get on my feed are teaching-related. Most notably, there are so many TikToks of teachers and their students.
Upon talking about this topic in class, it reminded me how strange I find this use of social media in the classroom. Some of these accounts are posting TikToks daily. While I can see the fun in filming a short video with students during pack-up time, the issues come in when considering whether these students and their guardians have consented to be all over the internet and how these students are not just being used for clicks and views but also for money.
TikTok is a platform that pays its creators, and while most of these TikTok teachers are not making a profit from these videos, it is beyond a doubt that others are. They are monetizing these kids and disguising it as a “fun break from learning.” While really, it is a scheme to use students to promote clicks, views, and profit.
Photo by Jordan Gonzalez on Unsplash
Recently, I watched a video where a teacher was sitting blindfolded in the classroom and one-by-one each of the ~25 students came up to her and said her name. The teacher then guessed each student’s name off of their voice (and got them all right). This video was a fun way to test her ability to recognize each student’s voice but the problem arises when considering that she has put her entire class, (their names and what each student looks like), online. Not just on one platform either, but TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and who knows what else.
After talking about this, FIPPA, and the BC school regulations around student data in class, it got me wondering about the consent side of this. Were students/guardians asked for consent for these videos? If so, was it verbal or did they sign a form? Was the frequency of filmed videos discussed, and the fact that student’s names would be shared? Was the monetization side of this discussed with the school administration and parents/guardians? Lastly, were students/guardians made aware that these videos are published on multiple platforms?
The ethical considerations are what stand out to me; I’ll probably never get an answer to the questions above. I’m glad I spent so much time thinking about this though–it allowed me to come to the conclusion that this is something I will not be integrating into my classroom. Ever.