Popular social media platform TikTok is introducing a new daily 60-minute screen timeout for users under the age of 18 to tell them how much time they are spending online. The ByteDance Ltd. app will add the new screen limit to every account belonging to anyone under the age of 18 in the next few weeks. Minors must now enter a password at the new 60-minute time limit.
“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,” said Cormac Keenan, head of Trust and Safety at TikTok, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Founder of child-advocacy organization Common Sense Media, James Steyer, stated, “The screen time limits are definitely a positive step to create a safer space for teens and families, but TikTok also needs to go further.”
“TikTok continues to capture users’ personal data and often nudges teens toward harmful content that can expose them to drugs, eating disorders, violence and more,” Steyer added.
READ MORE: Dem Senator asks Google, Apple to remove TikTok from US app stores
Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew is slated to appear before the House Energy and Commerce Committee to discuss information about harmful content and the potential for the exploitation of minors on the platform. Lawmakers have demanded more information from the influential social platform amidst its increasing popularity amongst children and teens.
The social media company Meta also recently added their own safety feature for parents to check their children’s screen time and activity on the app. TikTok did very similarly in 2020 and said Wednesday that they will add a new feature allowing parents to set daily limits for their kids depending on the day of the week.
