TikTok To Limit Underage Users’ Screen Time to 60 Minutes a Day

Iesha March 1, 2023 Tech Leave a comment

TikTok has released several brand-new features to lower screen time for underage users.

Every TikTok user under 18 will soon be subject to a daily screen time restriction of 60 minutes.

Teens who exceed the limit must input a passcode to continue watching. Users can completely turn off the feature, but if they do and use TikTok for more than 100 minutes each day, they’ll be asked to set a new limit.

Each week, teens will receive a weekly inbox message summarizing their screen time, making it possible for younger users to be aware of how much time they spend using the app.

These weekly updates are currently accessible, along with suggestions for teens on using the screen time tools.

According to TikTok, they consulted with experts from the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital when deciding how long the time restriction should be.

Cormac Keenan, Head of Trust and Safety at TikTok, said, “While there’s no collectively-endorsed position on how much screen time is ‘too much,’ or even the impact of screen time more broadly, we recognize that teens typically require extra support as they start to explore the online world independently.”

For children under the age of 13 that use the “TikTok for Younger Users,” limited app experience will also be subject to the 60-minute time limit.

When the screen time limit is reached, a parent or guardian must set or enter an existing passcode to permit 30 additional minutes of viewing.

Other new features included with family pairing will be custom daily screen limits for parents or guardians to customize a specific amount of time for kids to spend on the app, a screen time dashboard that will give a breakdown of app use, and scheduled mute notifications.

Currently, users between the ages of 13 and 15 already have push notifications muted automatically starting at 9 PM, and those between the ages of 16 and 17 have push notifications turned off at 10 PM. A sleep reminder is also now available that allows users to set a time to be reminded to close the app and go to bed.

According to TikTok, it’s creating new content restrictions that will let parents filter out videos containing phrases or hashtags they don’t want their kids to see.

TikTok spokesperson Mahsau Cullinane announced that the new TikTok features would be rolling out within the next few weeks.