#ThinkTwice Family Guide is now available in the Philippines as TikTok strengthens its efforts to help Filipino families develop safer and healthier digital habits.
Created in partnership with Child Rights Coalition-Asia, Child Rights Network, and Plan International Pilipinas, the guide encourages families to build trust and have open conversations about young people’s online experiences.
Launched during the #ThinkTwice Troop Townhall in celebration of International Youth Day, the resource provides practical tools that families can use to discuss digital safety, privacy, and responsible online behavior. It complements TikTok’s existing safety features for teens and Family Pairing tools.
A guide for better digital conversations
The #ThinkTwice Family Guide is designed to make conversations about online safety more approachable for Filipino families. Instead of focusing only on restrictions and monitoring, the guide encourages parents and teens to understand each other’s experiences and establish healthier digital habits together.
The resource includes conversation starters, reflection activities, digital safety tips, and information about TikTok’s safety and privacy features. Families can access the guide by searching “Think Twice” on TikTok, which directs users to the #ThinkTwice Digital Check-In Hub where the complete guide can be accessed and downloaded.
TikTok Public Policy Head for the Philippines Yves Gonzales said technology alone cannot address the challenges young people face online. “The strongest safeguards we can give our young people are built through trust, open conversations, digital literacy, and partnerships with organizations that understand the realities that young people face every day.”
He added that online safety should not only focus on setting boundaries but also on developing young people’s understanding, resilience, and confidence as they navigate digital spaces.
Putting teens at the center of digital safety
The #ThinkTwice Family Guide also emphasizes the importance of giving young people an active role in conversations about digital safety. During the launch, teen advocates shared their experiences navigating opportunities and challenges in online spaces.
The discussions highlighted the importance of helping young people develop the confidence and knowledge to make informed decisions online while ensuring they have trusted adults and communities they can approach when problems arise.
Undersecretary Angelo M. Tapales of the Council for the Welfare of Children stressed that young people should remain at the center of efforts to create safer digital spaces. “Children and young people are not merely recipients of protection. You are active participants in creating safer digital spaces. Your voices matter.”
The discussion also emphasized that digital safety should not come at the expense of young people’s ability to explore, learn, create, and participate online.
Digital parenting is about trust
The #ThinkTwice Family Guide encourages families to treat digital safety as an ongoing conversation rather than a one-time discussion. Experts involved in the launch emphasized that trust between parents and teenagers should be established before concerns arise online.
Experts and personalities from various sectors shared insights on building the trust and open communication young people need as they gain independence online.
Tapales said parents do not need to know every application or monitor every online activity to help keep their children safe. “Digital parenting is not about knowing every application or monitoring every click. They are not security guards or police of digital spaces.
Rather, it’s about building trust, maintaining open communication and creating an environment where children feel safe to ask questions, seek guidance, and report concerns.”
Plan International Pilipinas also highlighted that digital safety is a shared responsibility involving families, communities, government, and the private sector. The goal is not to remove young people from digital spaces but to equip them with the skills to navigate those spaces safely, critically, and responsibly.
Supporting safer digital habits on TikTok
The #ThinkTwice Family Guide complements TikTok’s existing safety and privacy measures for teen accounts. These include private account settings, content restrictions, and daily screen time limits, among other controls.
TikTok also offers Family Pairing tools that allow parents and teens to establish digital boundaries together. The new guide adds a localized resource specifically designed to help Filipino families understand and discuss these issues.
The guide’s launch also comes as government and child rights advocates call for greater awareness of the risks young people can encounter online. Tapales noted that digital technology provides significant opportunities for children to learn, connect, create, and participate, but also comes with risks that require stronger protection and education.
Making digital safety a shared responsibility
The #ThinkTwice Family Guide reflects a broader shift toward collaborative digital safety, where young people are treated as active participants rather than simply recipients of protection. By encouraging open communication and practical digital skills, the initiative aims to help Filipino families navigate an increasingly connected environment.
Gonzales emphasized that building a safer digital environment requires cooperation across sectors, including families, educators, policymakers, civil society, industry, and young people themselves. “None of us have all of the answers, together we can build a digital environment where every young person feels safe, supported, and empowered to thrive.”
For Tapales, the responsibility also extends to ensuring that children can benefit from technology without having to navigate its challenges alone. “Our children may be digital natives, but that doesn’t mean they have to navigate the digital world alone.”
As technology continues to shape how Filipino families communicate and learn, the #ThinkTwice Family Guide can help make digital safety a shared and ongoing conversation built on trust, communication, and empowerment.
