With TikTok again facing the possibility of a total ban in the U.S., China-based owner ByteDance says it will implement a default 60-minute per-day usage limit on the app for those under 18 years old.
MediaPost reports when the 60-minute limit is reached, teens under 18 will have to enter a passcode to keep watching, forcing them to make “an active decision” to do so, TikTok’s head of trust and safety, Cormac Keenan, said in a blog post Wednesday,'
For those under age 13, a parent or guardian will have to set or enter an existing passcode to allow another 30 minutes of user time once the first hour is up. Teens can opt out of the 60-minute default setting. TikTok said it will prompt teens who opt out to set their own daily screen time limits if they spend more than 100 minutes per day on the app.
In its first month of testing, prompting users to set daily screen-time limits increased use of screen-time management tools by 234%, according to TikTok.
Research has shown that social media is contributing to a mental health crisis among young people, and TikTok has become the most-used app among U.S. teens. A 2022 Pew Research Center survey found 67% of teens reporting that they use TikTok, and 16% saying they use it “constantly.” TikTok said it consulted with the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital to decide on the time limit.
TikTok said it will also update Family Pairing — described by nonprofit privacy group ConnectSafely in the announcement as an opportunity for parents and children to “collaborate on developing healthy online habits” — and allow parents to filter words and hashtags, set screen-time limits and mute TikTok notifications. The updated Family Pairing feature includes a screen time dashboard showing number of times the app has been opened and time spent on it.
The abilities to set time limits, mute notifications even without Family Pairing and set sleep reminders will also be rolled out for all users soon, TikTok said.
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