Social media platform TikTok On Wednesday announced it will roll out a new screen time limit for users under 18.
With this, teenagers will only have 60 minutes of screen time per day. This, the organization said, will help teens manage their time on TikTok.
The default time limit for eligible accounts is expected to arrive in the coming weeks.
However, teen TikTokers can still continue to use the app beyond the 60-minute limit but they will have to enter a prompted passcode.
Nevertheless, those watching for more than 100 minutes per day will be requested to establish their new screen time limit to facilitate a healthy online habit.
According to Cormac Keenan, head of trust and safety at TikTok, for this to happen teens will be required to make an active decision to extend that time.
“While there’s no collectively-endorsed position on the ‘right’ amount of screen time or even the impact of screen time more broadly, we consulted the current academic research and experts from the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital in choosing this limit,” Keenan wrote, while also citing research supported by TikTok.
This moves comes after policymakers and advocacy groups raised concern about the use of social media by young users.
This has led social media companies to implement various control measures to regulate user behavior; nonetheless, the majority of these efforts appear insufficient hence calling for additional measures.
In addition, TikTok will added four new features to Family Pairing, TikTok’s adjustable parental restrictions that allow parents to link their TikTok account to a younger user’s account.
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