TikTok’s new 60 minute screen limit

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) -TikTok announced Wednesday that every user under 18 will soon have their accounts default to a one-hour daily screen time limit, in one of the most aggressive moves yet by a social media company to prevent teens from endlessly scrolling.

The social media platform says the new measure will roll out in the coming months, to help young users stay in control.

If young people hit the 60-minute limit, they will be prompted to enter a passcode to extend their time on the app. But they will have the ability to opt out the new restriction. If the setting is turned off, teens who spend more than 100 minutes a day on TikTok will be prompted to set a daily screen limit for themselves.

It’s not just about curbing screen time but cleaning up the feeds of harmful content to make it a safe environment for children.

The move comes after TikTok and other social media platforms have faced years of scrutiny over their impact on young users, including their potential to lead teens down harmful rabbit holes. TikTok is also facing mounting pressure from Washington over security concerns from its ties to China through parent company Bytedance, including renewed discussion of a possible US ban of the short-form video app.

TikTok also announced an update to its family pairing feature. Parents or caregivers will be able to filter videos with words or hashtags they don’t want to appear in their teen’s feed. They will also be able to set a custom screen time limit and a custom schedule to mute notifications.

Other platforms including Instagram and Snapchat have similarly rolled out additional parental controls and features that encourage teens to take a break and set boundaries.

---

Download the FOX10 Weather App. Get life-saving severe weather warnings and alerts for your location no matter where you are. Available free in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

Copyright 2023 WALA. All rights reserved.