tiktok has Announced a batch of new features aimed at reducing screen time and improving the well-being of its youngest users.
In the coming weeks, a 60-minute daily screen time limit will be automatically enforced for all TikTok users under the age of 18. Teens who reach this limit will be asked to enter an access code to continue viewing. They can turn the feature off entirely, but if they do and spend more than 100 minutes on TikTok a day, they’ll be prompted to set a new limit.
TikTok claims that these prompts increased usage of its screen time management tools by 234% during the first month of testing the feature. Teens will also receive an inbox notification each week summarizing their screen time, letting younger users know how much time they spend in the app and requiring them to make active decisions to extend their recommended screen time.
The changes seem designed to make users more aware of their screen time.
TikTok says it consulted current academic research and experts from Boston Children’s Hospital’s Digital Wellness Lab when deciding how long the restriction should last.
“While there is no collectively supported position on how much screen time is ‘too much,’ or even the impact of screen time more generally, we recognize that teens often require additional support as they begin to explore the online world more independent,” Cormac said. Keenan, TikTok’s Head of Trust and Safety, in a statement.
The 60-minute time limit will also apply to children under the age of 13 using the “TikTok for younger users” limited application experience. In this case, a parent or guardian will need to set up or enter an existing passcode to enable 30 minutes of additional viewing time on the account if the screen time limit is reached.
Four new features will also be added to Family Pairing, TikTok’s customizable parental controls that allow a parent or guardian to link their TikTok account to the account of a younger user. Custom limits can be applied, allowing restrictions to be adjusted based on the day of the week (or extended more widely during school holidays).
Family Pairing will also grant access to TikTok’s screen time dashboard that summarizes how much time a child has spent on the app, how often it was opened, and a breakdown detailing how much time was spent during the day and night. A new “Mute Notifications” setting will soon allow parents to set a schedule to mute app notifications on their child’s accounts. Push notifications are already automatically muted starting at 9:00 PM for users ages 13-15, while users ages 16-17 have push notifications turned off starting at 10:00 PM.
Finally, TikTok says it’s developing new content controls that will allow caregivers to filter videos with words or hashtags they don’t want their children to see. The company is working with “parent, youth, and civil society organizations” over the next few weeks to design the feature.
Outside of Family Pairing, TikTok said that some of these settings will be available to all accounts “soon”, allowing any user to schedule muted notifications and set custom screen time limits for each day of the week. A sleep reminder is also being introduced that allows users to set a time to be reminded to close the app and go to bed.
TikTok has not said when exactly the new features announced today will roll out to users. We’ve reached out to TikTok to request a release schedule and will update this story if we hear back.
