TikTok sets screen time limits on teens

TikTok is setting daily screen time limits for users aged under 18.

The video sharing platform* has announced that all accounts belonging to people under the age of 18 will be subject to a daily limit of 60 minutes.

Once the 60 minute limit is reached, teens will be prompted* to enter a passcode if they want to continue watching.

TikTok’s head of trust and safety, Cormac Keenan, said this would require them to “make an active decision to extend that time” and think about whether they were spending too long online.

“While there’s no collectively-endorsed position* on how much screen time is ‘too much’, or even the impact* of screen time more broadly*, we recognise that teens typically require extra support as they start to explore the online world independently,” Mr Keenan wrote in a blog post on the company’s website.

“Research shows that being more aware of how we spend our time can help us be more intentional about the decisions we make.”

If a young user is still on TikTok after 100 minutes they will be prompted to set a daily screen time limit for themselves.

If the TikTok account has a level of family supervision, which is one of the website’s features, then a parent can set a time limit which only they can extend.

The app will also have a screen time dashboard which will break down how long the user has been active over a number of days.

TikTok is one of the most popular social media sites, rivalling* Facebook and Instagram especially with younger people.

But Western governments are becoming more wary of the Chinese owned firm.

Last week Canada joined the US and European Union in barring* the app from government issued mobile phones.

“I suspect that as government takes the significant step of telling all federal employees that they can no longer use TikTok on their work phones, many Canadians from business to private individuals will reflect on the security of their own data and perhaps make choices,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

“I’m always a fan of giving Canadians the information for them to make the right decisions for them.”

TikTok’s owner is Byte Dance. Its headquarters is in Singapore but it is ultimately a Chinese company.

It has insisted the app has no nefarious or surveillance uses but some governments remain suspicious of its potential uses by Beijing.

GLOSSARY

• platform: an opportunity to make your ideas or beliefs known publicly
• prompted: encourage someone to do something
• collectively-endorsed: a group of people or organisation agreeing on a topic
• impact: have a strong effect on someone or something
• broadly: to a similar extent or generally
• rivalling: competing for the same object or goal as another
• barring: the act of excluding someone or something

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QUICK QUIZ

1. Why has TikTok set daily screen time limits for users aged under 18?
2. What will teens do if they want to continue their screen time on TikTok after an hour?
3. Aside from TikTok, which other social media are popular according to this story?
4. Why is Canada the US and European Union barring the app from government issued mobile phones?
5. Where is TikTok’s headquarters?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Benefits and consequences
When making decisions about using apps like TikTok, it is important to weigh up the benefits and consequences. Create a table that lists all of the benefits and consequences you can think of – some are mentioned in this news story.

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; ICT Capability; Health and Physical Education

2. Extension
What do you think is the optimal amount of time a child your age should be spending on screens each day? Write a paragraph to explain the reason for the time limit you have given.

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; ICT Capability; Health and Physical Education

VCOP ACTIVITY
I spy nouns
Nouns are places, names (of people and objects), and time (months or days of the week).

1. How many nouns can you find in the article?
2. Can you sort them into places, names and time?
3. Pick three nouns and add an adjective (describing word) to the nouns.