In case you missed it, we wrote an article about "What Can We Do About Children Having Too Much Screen Time". It seems that TikTok will be taking action as well, as the company recently made an announcement of allowing parents to limit the screen time on the app.
TikTok will roll out a new Family Pairing feature so that parents can have new tools to set screen time limitations for each family member. The new Time Away feature can be customised and decided by the parent or guardian, setting a schedule that best suits their family life. While teens can make a request for extra time, the parents will still make the final decision.
Another new feature on Family Pairing is allowing parents to see who their teens are following on TikTok and who follows them. Parents can monitor ongoing conversations and can even block accounts. But it's not a one-way street, as TikTok plans to integrate a system for the teens to report a video they think may be against TikTok's policy and alert their parents or guardians, even without Family Pairing.
On top of that, there will also be a new in-app meditation feature designed to help teens under 16 wind down if they are still using the app after 10 PM. The 'For You' feed will launch the wind-down feature, taking over the screen with calming music. In the coming weeks, TikTok will test adding meditation exercises to the wind-down reminder.
As for now, the new updates are launching in the EU, followed by the US at a later date. We hope that this feature will be launched globally in due time, as managing a child's screen time is more important than ever.
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