TikTok Rolls Out New Features to Protect Teens

TikTok has taken over as one of the standard apps amongst American teenagers, however not with out loads of parental anxiousness tagging alongside.

A 2022 research discovered that 67% of U.S. teenagers reported utilizing the platform, with 16% saying they use it nearly continually. This in depth utilization has raised crimson flags amongst mother and father, who’re involved concerning the potential impression on their teens’ mental health and well-being. Analysis signifies that extra screen-time can result in points corresponding to anxiousness, despair, and disrupted sleep patterns.

In response to rising considerations, TikTok not too long ago rolled out a collection of recent parental controls designed to present mother and father extra energy over how their teenagers use the app.

New TikTok Parental Management Options

TikTok first launched the Household Pairing function in 2020 to assist mother and father customise their settings based mostly on their kid’s particular person wants. When the function is enabled, mother and father can hyperlink their account to their teen’s account and monitor their screen time, direct messaging, content material filters, and extra.

In response to an organization announcement, TikTok plans to introduce much more instruments for fogeys as a part of the Household Planning function, the newest updates will embrace:

• ‘Wind Down’ Reminders: For customers underneath 16 energetic after 10 p.m., TikTok introduces a display with calming music and mindfulness workouts to encourage logging off.
• Time Away: Dad and mom can now block app utilization throughout particular occasions, corresponding to meals, college hours, or bedtime.
• Exercise Monitoring: The app now permits mother and father to view their kid’s followers, who they observe, and blocked accounts.

TikTok’s Parental Controls Over the Final 5 Years

TikTok’s security options have come a good distance, largely as a result of the platform has needed to evolve rapidly to maintain up with person calls for and parental strain. At present, mother and father have entry to over 15 adjustable settings. This is a fast rundown of essentially the most important modifications over the previous few years.

Scrutiny Over TikTok’s Affect

TikTok has confronted criticism relating to its impression on teenagers’ psychological well being because the app grew to become standard again in 2018.

In October 2024, a coalition of 14 U.S. states, led by California and New York, filed a lawsuit towards TikTok, alleging that the platform’s design promotes addition and contributes to psychological well being points amongst minors. An investigation even found that TikTok’s executives are conscious of the app’s potential hurt to youthful customers however did not do sufficient to handle it.

Critics have additionally level out that whereas TikTok is pushing mindfulness prompts and scheduling options, it would not sort out the true difficulty: the addictive nature of the content material itself. Plus, misinformation stays an enormous drawback, with teenagers using TikTok to self-diagnose psychological well being situations—a dangerous transfer that usually results in incorrect self-assessments.

On prime of considerations about psychological well being, TikTok can also be going through the specter of U.S. ban until its Chinese language dad or mum firm sells its stake by April, 2025. At present, the U.S. administration is in discussions with 4 potential consumers, together with Perplexity AI and a consortium led by former Los Angeles Dodgers proprietor Frank McCourt. Analysts estimate TikTok’s worth may attain as a lot as $50 billion.

Is It Sufficient?

TikTok’s new parental controls are undoubtedly a step in the best course, however they do not absolutely tackle the deeper problems with screen addiction and psychological well being dangers. Moreover, customers are nonetheless liable for inputting their very own age, and no parental consent verification is required.

Whereas testing out the brand new controls is an effective begin, mother and father must also keep vigilant and talk brazenly with their children about on-line security. On the finish of the day, no app function can substitute good old style conversations about steadiness and well-being.