The company said the new features will help app users to build a 'positive relationship with digital devices' based around them being in control. 'We look forward to TikTok developing further features that will put children's well-being at the heart of their design choices.' 'It is important that they feel in control of their online experiences and are helped to make considered choices. Internet Matters chief executive Carolyn Bunting said: 'The research showed that younger users would welcome the introduction of built-in features and settings that prompt them to both think critically about the time that they are spending online, but also encourage them to use settings to actively manage the time they spent on the app. They also want flexible tools that can be adapted to different circumstances, for example, to allow themselves more screen time during a rainy Saturday afternoon in the summer than they might the night before an exam. Teens asked for more data about their usage and active alerts like pop-ups and warning times. They found that when teenagers feel in control of their online behaviour and habits, it has a positive impact on their well-being. Researchers asked parents and teenagers in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany and Italy for their views on screen time, how they manage it currently, and what help they would like. TikTok said the changes come in part following a study it has carried out with online safety group, Internet Matters. The social media giant has also published a new online guide on its safety centre which offers advice around having good digital habits and setting boundaries. These notifications will remind them about the screen time limit tool next time they open up the app. Younger TikTok users between the ages of 13 and 17 will also start to receive automatic prompts if they use the platform for more than 100 minutes in a single day. When you reach this limit, TikTok will ask you to enter a pre-defined passcode to continue using the app, putting a speed bump in your scrolling. TikTok already has a screen time management feature that allows concerned app users, or their parents, to set an allowance of minutes they can spend on the video-sharing platform each day. This includes how often they open it and a breakdown of their day and night-time usage, with an option to opt-in for weekly notifications to review their stats. The second is a new screen time dashboard that will show the TikTok user data about the amount of time they spend on the app. The first is a new screen time limit, which will prompt users to take a break after a certain amount of uninterrupted screen time – a figure the user or their parents can set themselves.
The company has created two new tools to help serial scrollers take control of the overall amount of time they spend on the social media platform.
TikTok is a social media app popular among children and young people that lets users live-stream, create short videos and music videos and Gifs with a host of functions. The Chinese video-sharing app also designed a screen time dashboard that will show the user data about the amount of time they spend on the platform in the day and at night(stock image)