TikTok has announced new measures to help parents control how much time their teenagers spend on the platform.
The update comes as concerns grow about the impact of excessive screen time on young people’s mental health.
The new feature, which is already available in the European Union and will soon launch in the United States, allows parents to set daily time limits for their children.
They can also choose specific times when their teens can access the app.
The restrictions can only be lifted by a parent from their own account.
This update follows similar steps taken by Instagram, which introduced a time-management feature months ago.
TikTok, which has over a billion users worldwide, is also adding a function that lets parents monitor their children’s activity on the platform.
They will be able to see who their child follows, who follows them, and any accounts they have blocked.
Additionally, TikTok will introduce a relaxation feature for users under 16.
After 10 p.m., these teens will receive suggestions for meditation exercises with calming music, though they can choose to turn it off.
The move comes at a time when TikTok is facing scrutiny in different parts of the world. Governments and regulators are questioning the platform’s influence on teenagers and its possible role in election interference.
In France, lawmakers are set to investigate TikTok’s psychological effects on children.
Meanwhile, Albania is preparing to ban the app for a year after a deadly fight between teenagers, which reportedly started as an online conflict.
