TechDigits

Tech news
Friday, Mar 31, 2023

TikTok sets 60-minute daily screen time limit for under-18s

TikTok sets 60-minute daily screen time limit for under-18s

TikTok is setting a 60-minute daily screen time limit for users who are aged under 18.

If young people hit the new limit, they will have to enter a passcode to continue to use the service that day.

But they will be able to opt out of the new measure, which TikTok says will be rolled out "in the coming weeks".

The video app, which is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, said it is introducing the feature to help people "stay in control" of their use.

TikTok said the new limit comes after it brought in a prompt last year to encourage teens to manage their screen time. It said this helped "increase the use of our screen time tools by 234%".

Users of the platform have to be at least 13, and, as part of this new feature, anyone under the age of 18 will receive a weekly notification with a "recap of their screen time".


No 'right amount' of screen time


Users affected will receive their new time limit passcode on a screen in their app as the changes take effect.

Anyone who opts out of the new 60-minute restriction, but goes on to use the app for 100 minutes a day, will receive a prompt from TikTok to set their own screen time controls.

Parents of children using the Family Pairing option on the app will also be able to set screen time limits, as well as access a dashboard which would give a breakdown of app usage.

Cormac Keenan, head of trust and safety at TikTok, said the company had worked with researchers in developing the new limits.

"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," he said.

Critics of the video app welcomed the screen time limit, but described it as the "tip of the iceberg" when it comes to TikTok's response to young users' exposure to the platform.


'Crack cocaine of algorithms'


Imran Ahmed is chief executive of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, which recently published research showing TikTok's algorithm "bombards" teenagers with harmful content.

"TikTok has won the race for the hearts and minds of 14 to 24-year-olds in the United States and the United Kingdom," he said.

"It is the crack cocaine of algorithms. It is the most addictive, it is the most dangerous and the one that needs to be dealt with most urgently."

Mr Ahmed told the BBC his centre's research at the end of last year found that within minutes of opening a TikTok account, a 13-year-old girl user was receiving eating disorder and self-harm content in her feed.

He called on the platform to focus its efforts not just on curbing screen time, but also to "clean up" feeds of harmful content to make it a "safe environment for children".

It comes as TikTok faces renewed controversy over its relationship with the Chinese government and protection of user data.

Earlier this week, the Canadian government became the latest to ban the app from government devices, following similar moves in the United States.

In September 2021, TikTok said it had hit more than one billion active monthly users, making it one of the biggest social sites in the world.

It does not release a demographic breakdown of its users, but is viewed by social media marketers and advertisers as being a key platform to reach people under the age of 34.

Newsletter

Related Articles

TechDigits
Close
0:00
0:00
China and Brazil have signed a new deal that will allow them to trade in their own currencies, bypassing the US dollar as an intermediary
Elon Musk and Others Call for Pause on A.I., Citing ‘Profound Risks to Society’
U.S. charges FTX's Bankman-Fried with paying $40 million bribe
Fallen 'Crypto King' Who Owes Millions to Investors Was Kidnapped and Tortured
Regulators blame social media for SVB's rapid collapse: 'Complete game changer'
AOC explains why she opposes banning TikTok
Gordon Moore, a co-founder of Intel Corporation, died at 94
Donald Trump arrested – Twitter goes wild with doctored pictures
Credit Suisse's Scandalous History Resulted in an Obvious Collapse - It's time for regulators who fail to do their job to be held accountable and serve as an example by being behind bars.
Russian Hackers Preparing New Cyber Assault Against Ukraine
A brief banking situation report
Elon Musk Is Planning To Build A Town In Texas For His Employees
The Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse effect is spreading around the world, affecting startup companies across the globe
Market Chaos as USDC Loses Peg to USD after $3.3 Billion Reserves Held by Silicon Valley Bank Closed.
Banking regulators close SVB, the largest bank failure since the financial crisis
In a major snub to Downing Street's Silicon Valley dreams, UK chip giant Arm has dealt a serious blow to the government's economic strategy by opting for a US listing
It's the question on everyone's lips: could a four-day workweek be the future of employment?
Corruption and Influence Buying Uncovered in International Mainstream Media: Investigation Reveals Growing Disinformation Mercenaries
Being a Tiktoker might be expensive…
China's top tech firms, including Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, NetEase, and JD.com, are developing their own versions of Open AI's AI-powered chatbot, ChatGPT
This shocking picture, showing how terrible is the results of the earthquake in Turkey
The desk of King Carlos Alberto of Sardinia has many secret compartments
Charlie Munger, calls for a ban on cryptocurrencies in the US, following China's lead
First generation unopened iPhone set to fetch more than $50,000 at auction.
Almost 30% of professionals say they've tried ChatGPT at work
Interpol seeks woman who ran elaborate exam cheating scam in Singapore
What is ChatGPT?
Tesla reported record profits and record revenues for 2022
Microsoft is finalising plans to become the latest technology giant to reduce its workforce during a global economic slowdown
Tesla slashes prices globally by as much as 20 percent
After Failing To Pay Office Rent, Twitter May Sell User Names
FTX fraud investigators are digging deeper into Sam Bankman-Fried's inner circle – and reportedly have ex-engineer Nishad Singh in their sights
TikTok CEO Plans to Meet European Union Regulators
U.S. Moves to Seize Robinhood Shares, Silvergate Accounts Tied to FTX
Coinbase to Pay $100 Million in Settlement With New York Regulator
FTX assets worth $3.5bn held by Bahamas securities regulator
Former FTX CEO Bankman-Fried finally arrested in Bahamas after U.S. files charges
Corruption works: House Financial Services Chair Waters doesn't plan to subpoena her donor, Sam Bankman-Fried, to testify at hearing on FTX collapse
Yellen hints at ‘national security’ probe into Twitter purchase
Elon Musk reinstates Donald Trump's Twitter account.
George W. Bush and Barack Obama will hold back-to-back disinformation conferences
Solar + Powerwall ensures you never lose power, even if the grid goes down
This man paid for strangers' grocery and it moved them to tears
Meta introduces a new version of Mark Zuckerberg
Virtual Reality on billboards: BMW advertisement on Times Square
Apple CEO Tim Cook says coding should be taught as early as elementary school: 'It's the most important language you can learn'
Apple Executive Resigns After Viral TikTok Shows Him Making Crude Jokes
Huawei is not only better technology, but also protecting users better: Apple Warns Of Security Flaw For Iphones, Ipads And Macs
Mark Zuckerberg warns many teams will ‘shrink’ as Meta revenue drops
Elon Musk reportedly begged for forgiveness after his affair with Google co-founder Sergey Brin's wife
×