This new TikTok feature is designed to help specific users close the app

Summary

TikTok is introducing a new meditation feature for users under the age of 16 to encourage them to stop using the app after 10pm with calming music.
Additionally, parents can now set “Time Away” on TikTok to restrict their teen’s app usage during specific hours.
TikTok has until early April to find a US-based buyer or face another shutdown in the US.

Doomscrolling on TikTok at night is a habit that’s difficult for some to break, and it seems TikTok is now taking action to address this issue, particularly among teenage users.

TikTok has announced that it is rolling out a new in-app meditation feature designed to encourage users under the age of 16 to “wind down” using the app after 10pm with a full-screen reminder that plays “calming music to help teens relax and be mindful of the time.” If a teen chooses to ignore the first wind-down reminder, the TikTok app will present a second one that’s harder to dismiss.

TikTok states it will test “additional meditation exercises” as part of the wind-down reminder in the “coming weeks.” The company also mentions that most teens have chosen to keep the wind-down reminder enabled in countries where it has tested this feature thus far. Hopefully TikTok lets adults enable this feature in the future so they can also stop doomscrolling.

TikTok

TikTok is a popular social media app from the company ByteDance. It has gone viral for its short-form videos and influencer culture, but is facing a potential shut down in the US.

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TikTok is adding additional parental controls

Parents can now decide what times their child can’t use the app

TikTok

Alongside its new meditation feature, TikTok is introducing a new option called “Time Away” for parents and caregivers using Family Pairing, TikTok’s parental control settings. Time Away will allow parents to determine when their teen can and cannot use the app. For instance, a parent can set Time Away for specific hours during the week, such as during school, so their teen is unable to access TikTok at all. When the teen attempts to use TikTok during Time Away, a screen will appear stating, “Your parent or guardian scheduled time away for you,” blocking access to the app.

TikTok is also enabling parents to see who their teen follows on TikTok and who follows them. The platform has faced criticism regarding the potential effects its app can have on a teen’s mental health, so these new features are an attempt to address those concerns. Stephanie Balkam, CEO and founder of the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI), commended TikTok’s latest initiative, stating it is “a welcome development for families looking to both protect their children from harm and empower them as responsible digital citizens.”

Additionally, TikTok announced a partnership with Telefónica (a telecom company) “to understand how people can use age information from their phone provider to confirm their age.” In January, TikTok was temporarily shut down in the US. According to the executive order signed by President Trump, TikTok has until early April to secure a US-based buyer or risk another shutdown in the US.