Teens can now avoid using TikTok at night thanks to new features the app has introduced
A set of resources has been released by TikTok to assist teenagers in reducing their screen time. When teenagers attempt to use the short-form video app at night, it offers meditation exercises, adjustable time limits, and scheduled shutdown times. The timing of these developments is not coincidental, as social media is under unprecedented pressure regarding its effects on the mental health of young people.
TikTok can be blocked by parents during certain hours, like after dinner or during school. Teens must expressly ask for an additional five minutes, and the adult will make the final decision. The app recommends a daily limit of 60 minutes by default, though this can be adjusted for weekends and school days.
The most noteworthy feature is the night mode, which shows calming music and breathing techniques when a child under the age of sixteen opens the TikTok app after 10 p.m. Without going into detail about how this mechanism operates, the company stated that it will be challenging to disregard a second warning if you keep using TikTok after this one.
Additional features for monitoring have also been added. In addition to existing features like filtering content by language, parents can now view in real time who their child is following, which accounts they have blocked, and who their child is following.
According to TikTok, 60% of its users are between the ages of 13 and 24, which is a sizable portion that explains why the platform invests in these features. The majority of teenagers who tested the nightly reminders during the beta period decided to stick with them, according to internal data.
The business also disclosed that it is conducting an international study to create more digital well-being tools and is developing new tests with more thorough breathing exercises. Convincing parents to put these controls in place and stopping teenagers from figuring out how to get around them are still difficult tasks.