TikTok Introduces 60-Minute Daily Screen Time Limit for Users Under 18 to Encourage Safe Use

TikTok, the popular social media video app owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is introducing a daily screen time limit of 60 minutes for users under the age of 18. If users hit the new limit, they will need to enter a passcode to continue using the app for the day. However, users can choose to opt-out of the feature, which will be rolled out “in the coming weeks.” The video app has already introduced a prompt last year to encourage teenagers to manage their screen time, which helped increase the use of its screen time tools by 234%. As part of this new feature, any user under the age of 18 will receive a weekly notification with a summary of their screen time.

Parents who use the Family Pairing option on the app will also be able to set screen time limits for their children and access a dashboard that gives a breakdown of app usage. The company has worked with researchers to develop these new limits, but there is no collectively endorsed position on the “right” amount of screen time. Critics welcomed the screen time limit, but say it’s just the “tip of the iceberg” when it comes to TikTok’s response to young users’ exposure to the platform. Recent research has shown TikTok’s algorithm “bombards” teenagers with harmful content, including eating disorder and self-harm content. Critics have called on the platform to focus its efforts not just on curbing screen time but also on cleaning up feeds of harmful content to make it a safe environment for children. In September 2021, TikTok announced it had reached over one billion active monthly users, making it one of the biggest social media sites globally.