TikTok Launches New Features to Promote Healthy Screen Time for Teens

TikTok has rolled out new features aimed at giving teens more control over their screen time and promoting healthier habits. On Tuesday, the platform announced a set of safeguards for younger users, with the most eye-catching change being a new wind-down feature that automatically blocks the For You feed after 10 p.m.

This feature will be available for users under 16 years old. If they try to keep scrolling past the designated curfew time, TikTok will step in and start playing calming music, helping them wind down before bed. If teens ignore the first reminder, TikTok will send a second, more noticeable full-screen notification to make sure they get the message. In addition to this, TikTok plans to add meditation exercises in the coming weeks to further assist with relaxation and better sleep.

Image Credit: TikTok

Beyond the wind-down feature, TikTok has also made updates to its Family Pairing tools, which were introduced in 2020 to give parents more control over their children's app experience. One of the key updates is the new "Time Away" feature. This allows parents to set break times for their kids, making it easier to promote healthy app usage. Parents can also set up recurring break schedules and approve or deny extra time requests sent by their kids.

TikTok is also enhancing its transparency with parents by allowing them to see the accounts their teen is following, the accounts they've blocked, and the people who follow them. This increased visibility is meant to encourage parents to have ongoing conversations with their kids about online safety and digital literacy.

The last time we mentioned TikTok was in the context of its potential acquisition by Oracle.

On top of these features, TikTok continues to use age assurance technology to verify that all users are over the age of 13. In partnership with Telefónica, TikTok is exploring ways to use phone provider age data to confirm users’ ages and ensure better accuracy in its age verification process.

With these updates, TikTok is working towards providing a safer and more balanced experience for younger users, while also empowering parents to guide their kids’ digital lives more effectively.