TikTok has announced changes that will help limit the screen time of teens and also help families keep track of how much time is being spent on the app.
The most drastic change will be for anyone that is under the age of 18. An automatic 60-minute daily screen will be put in place, with the teen able to put a code in to continue watching. If the teen is under 13, a parent or guardian will need to put in a code for them to watch an additional 30 minutes.
If the teen turns off the 60 minute a day default screen time, TikTok will send a weekly report with a recap of screen time so that they can be more aware of it.
TikTok is also adding three new features to Family Pairing:
- Custom daily screen time limits: Caregivers will be able to use Family Pairing to customize the daily screen time limit for their teen – including choosing different time limits depending on the day of the week – giving families more choices to match screen time to school schedules, holiday breaks, or family travel.
- Screen time dashboard: We’re bringing our screen time dashboard to Family Pairing, which provides summaries of time on the app, the number of times TikTok was opened, and a breakdown of total time spent during the day and night. From our recent research, we know screen time is one of the topics parents most frequently discuss with their teens, and we want to support caregivers with relevant information to help them guide their teens.
- Mute notifications: Notifications help us stay connected, but there are times when it’s important to be uninterrupted. We’re introducing a new setting that enables parents to set a schedule to mute notifications for their teen. Accounts aged 13-15 already do not receive push notifications from 9pm and accounts aged 16-17 have push notifications disabled from 10pm.
TikTok will also introduce daily screen time limits and sleep reminders so that users can ensure that are more aware of their time with the app.
