Minors on TikTok are reminded to stop watching after an hour

TikTok enables the pre-existing Daily Screen Time feature by default on minor accounts. This should reduce the screen time used by minors, the company says. Many teens use the app much longer than the new 60-minute limit.

After those 60 minutes, users must enter a self-selected code to continue. The app will remain available after that time. Minors can also choose not to be asked for a code until after 100 minutes, says TikTok. After entering that code, there is no limit on screen time from within the app, unless users or parents have set it up.

Parents can also set children not to receive push notifications from the app between certain times. By default, this does not happen in the evening and at night. Now it can also be set that the app does not require attention during, for example, periods to study for tests or during family outings. The options for silent notifications and screen time are also available for adult users, but they are not turned on by default. The options can be found under the profile, under Settings and Privacy under the heading Screen time. The timer will become the default for every minor’s profile sometime in the coming weeks.

More social media apps have gained tools in recent years to manage users’ screen time. Many minors spend hours a day within apps such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. That is according to some scientists the cause of the sharp rise in psychological problems among teenagers worldwide in the past decade.