Ruth Croft
The video app TikTok has created a plan to decrease screen time to an hour a day for those under the age of 18.
The app, which was founded in 2016 by the Chinese company ByteDance, has recently announced they are in the process of setting up measures to limit daily screen time for people younger than 18 years old.
The Plan of Action
TikTok has said the decision is inspired by talks suggesting teenagers should be more aware of their screen time.
If teenagers use TikTok for more than an hour, the service will cease until a passcode has been entered, and only then will they be able to continue using the app that day.
“This initiative aims to help people ‘stay in control’ of their social media use”
They will be allowed to opt out of this decision to decrease screen time. However, if they choose to scroll for over 100 minutes, they will automatically receive a message from TikTok to control their limit themselves, which can be done via the Screen Time feature on Apple and Android products.
This initiative aims to help people “stay in control” of their social media use.
TikTok has also promised as part of this new feature, those under the age of 18 will receive a notification every week to notify them how much screen time they are absorbing.
A History of TikTok
TikTok’s Chinese counterpart, Douyin, was originally launched by ByteDance in September 2016, after being developed in a matter of 200 days. Within twelve months, the social media platform had amassed 100 million users, with more than one billion videos viewed on a daily basis. Due to the success of the brand, an alternate app was created for the international market, and TikTok emerged in September 2017.
Since then, TikTok has become the 6th most popular social media platform in the world, and as of 2023 has reached over 1.53 billion users worldwide.
The app allows users to create content, specifically short videos, usually featuring background music or sounds relating to relevant pop culture. The content that users see on their ‘For You’ page depends on their individual ‘like’ history, as well as the videos they have interacted with or searched for. Those using TikTok also have the ability to ‘react’ to and ‘duet’ other people’s comments and videos.
“TikTok is a platform that has redefined influencer culture”
In February 2020, TikTok also introduced the family safety mode, a feature that allows parents to link their personal accounts to their children’s in order to control safety settings, which includes restricted mode, direct messages, and screen time.
TikTok is a platform that has redefined influencer culture and allowed viewers closer access to celebrities than ever before. Renowned stars like Kim Kardashian, Selena Gomez, and Will Smith are mere examples of those who regularly post content to their accounts, allowing them to interact with their fans on a more personal level. This element, and the promise of near-constant viral videos, has meant that most people with a social media presence want to be on TikTok, in order to be a part of the prominent and influential social events.
How will these screen time warnings affect users in the long term?
TikTok has reportedly been working with researchers on the benefits of enforcing this new feature.
Cormac Keenan, head of trust and safety at TikTok, said they sought advice before developing the screen 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,” he said.
Despite debate on what the correct amount of screen time a day is, most critics would agree that implementing a limit can only be beneficial.
“Too much screen time could lead to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder”
Studies suggest the amount of screen time a child absorbs can be linked to potential psychological risks. A study published by the Journal of Adolescent Health suggested too much screen time could lead to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, with 4.4% of 9,208 chosen children qualifying for a new diagnosis as their device usage was tracked.
The effects of too much screen time have also been linked to physical health issues, including obesity, poor sleep hygiene, and bad posture causing neck and back pain.
With all this conjecture surrounding the negative effects of excessive screen time, it is hypothesised by experts that TikTok’s choice to enforce a limit is a positive move for all.
Featured image courtesy of Alexander Shatov via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
Ruth Croft
Ruth is a twenty-four-year-old Digital PR assistant and the Head of Entertainment for Empoword Journalism. She was a freelance journalist for a few years after graduating from university, writing a lot about pop culture, fashion, and beauty. She can be found drinking coffee, laughing at her own tweets, and watching reality TV.