Tik Tok Announces Time Limit for Teen Users
On Wednesday, March 1, 2023, the popular social media platform TikTok announced they would be implementing a new feature, which will automatically set a 60-minute daily screen time limit for users under the age of 18. This new feature is a response to growing concerns from parents over the platform’s potential harmful impact on younger users. According to the new guidelines, when the time limit is up, users will be prompted to enter a passcode to continue using the device. For users 13 and younger, parents will be prompted to input a passcode every 30 minutes for their child to be able to continue to use the platform.
TikTok partnered with Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital to determine the length of time for this new screentime limit. Although currently there is not a widely accepted “right” amount of screen time for teens, a promising study by *Tweng and Campbell (2018) found that teens who spend more than seven hours a day on screens are twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression. This initiative has not rolled out yet, but TikTok plans to begin implementing this soon.
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Sources:
*https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335518301827
Posted by on 6 Mar 2023