TikTok Set To Have Default Screen Time Limits For Youngsters

Every account held by a user under the age of 18 will, starting in the upcoming weeks, have a default screen time limit of 60 minutes per day, according to a statement made by TikTok on Wednesday. The modifications come at a time when governments throughout the globe are becoming more concerned about the security of the app.

Limiting how much time kids spend on the Chinese-owned video-sharing app has proven challenging for parents.

When the 60-minute time limit is up, minors will be requested to enter a passcode and make an “active decision” to continue watching, according to Cormac Keenan, head of trust and safety at TikTok, in a blog post published on Wednesday.

After the initial 60-minute viewing time restriction is reached for accounts where the user is under the age of 13, a parent or guardian must set or enter an existing passcode to grant an additional 30 minutes of viewing time.

According to TikTok, it developed the 60-minute limit after talking to university researchers and specialists from the Digital Wellbeing Center at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Concerns about what adolescents are exposed to on social media and the possible harm it can cause have existed for a long time. According to a report published before the end of last year, TikTok’s algorithms are encouraging vulnerable teenagers to watch videos about self-harm and eating problems.

Yet, social media opponents claim that the same algorithms that highlight content about a specific sports team, hobby, or dance fad also lead users astray to hazardous content.

On Wednesday, TikTok also announced that, if users choose to deviate from the 60-minute norm, they will be prompted to select a daily screen time limit. Teen accounts will receive weekly inbox notifications from the firm that include a screen time summary.

TikTok now has several safety precautions for teen accounts, such as setting accounts between the ages of 13 and 15 to private by default and limiting direct messaging access to accounts with users who are 16 or older.

The business is also introducing a sleep reminder to assist consumers in scheduling their nighttime offline time. Users can specify a time for the sleep feature, and when that time comes, a pop-up will notify them that it is time to log off.

In addition to some minors using the app excessively, there is growing worried about the app globally. TikTok cannot be installed on equipment used for official purposes, according to the EU Council, European Commission, and European Parliament.
That comes after comparable measures were taken by the US Congress, the US federal government, and more than half of the US states. It is likewise prohibited on government equipment in Canada.