TikTok will block teens from using the video app after 10 P.M. and instead wind them down to sleep with calming music and meditation exercises.
On Tuesday, TikTok announced that it is rolling out a host of new parental-control safety measures to protect teens on the app and limit screen time.
TikTok will be encouraging teen users to put their phones away at night and go to sleep. Any teen under the age of 16, who is using the app after 10 P.M., will have their screen taken over after this curfew and calming music will play to wind them down to sleep. Teen TikTok users can dismiss the feature if they want to continue using the app.
TikTok will also test adding meditation exercises to the wind down reminder in the coming weeks, with the company claiming that “research shows that mindful meditation can improve sleep quality.”
There will also be new measures for the adult caregiver to block their kid from the app during set times.
With the new “Time Away” feature, parents will have the ability to block their teens from accessing TikTok during certain hours that they control.
For instance, they can choose to block access during family time, school, at night, or a weekend away. Parents can also use the feature to set a recurring schedule for when they want to block access to the app. If plans change, teens can request extra time and parents can decide if they want to grant access.
TikTok will also let parents see their teen’s following and followers lists through new Family Pairing features — a feature that the company says will allow parents to help their teens learn the skills needed to understand the online landscape.
“With increased visibility into their teen’s network, parents will be better equipped to have ongoing conversations and help their teens develop the digital literacy skills they need,” TikTok says in the news release.
The new parental-control safety measures come after multiple U.S. states have sued TikTok over claims that the video app is designed to be addictive to kids and harms their mental health last year.
Over a dozen U.S. states and Washington D.C. have filed lawsuits against TikTok regarding the app’s effect on teens and other young users. The 13 states, which include New York and California, allege that the company is damaging children’s mental health with a product designed to be used compulsively and excessively.
Image credits: All photos by TikTok.
