TikTok Sets Limits For Gen Z's Screen Time — Finally, A Digital Nanny For The Digital Natives!

Chinese video-sharing app TikTok announced a new approach to mitigate its addictive nature and address concerns about the impact on minors. 

What Happened: TikTok will now automatically limit the screen time for users under 18 to 60 minutes and require a password for binge-watching more videos. 

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The ByteDance-owned social media platform will also allow guardians to monitor the time teens spend on the forum by bringing the “screen time dashboard to Family Pairing,” the company said in a blogpost on Wednesday. 

This way, adults can see how often TikTok was opened and a breakdown of the “total time spent during the day and night.” 

TikTok has gained in popularity because of the addictive nature of its content, surpassing Meta Platforms Inc.’s META Instagram Reels and Facebook, Snap Inc. SNAP and Twitter. 

According to leading analysts, it is likely because modern-day users prefer committing to a 15-second video rather than a 20-minute one.

The company consulted academic research and experts for choosing this limit. However, it acknowledged that there’s “no collectively-endorsed position on the ‘right’ amount of screen time or even the impact of screen time.” 

Why It’s Important: TikTok announced the new measures at a critical time, considering its facing intense global scrutiny that could lead to the app’s ban in some of its biggest markets. 

Legislators and regulators are chiefly concerned about the platform presenting national security risks and having significant influence on young users, reported Bloomberg. 

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