TikTok Introduces New Features for Teen Safety and Parental Control

TikTok Launches New Features Aimed at Teens and Parents

TikTok has introduced a series of new features designed to promote balanced digital habits among teens, with a strong focus on giving parents more tools to monitor and manage their child's use of the app.

For Parents:

• Time Away: Allows parents to set specific times when their teen cannot access TikTok. Parents can create recurring schedules or approve one-time requests for extra time from their teens.
• Following Transparency: Enables parents to view the accounts their teen follows, who follows them back, and any accounts they have blocked on TikTok.

These features join over 15 existing tools that parents and caregivers can use to manage their teen's TikTok experience.

For Teens:

• Wind Down: A new feature that interrupts the For You feed for teens under 16 after 10pm with a full-screen takeover featuring calming music. If the teen decides to continue using TikTok, they will be reminded again with a more difficult-to-dismiss prompt.
• Reporting: Teens can now report videos they believe violate TikTok's rules and simultaneously alert a parent, caregiver, or trusted adult, even if they are not using Family Pairing.

TikTok plans to test the addition of meditation exercises to the Wind Down feature in the coming weeks, as research suggests that mindful meditation can improve sleep quality.

The introduction of these features is seen as a positive step towards helping teens and parents engage with TikTok in healthier ways, complementing existing system-wide tools like Apple's Screen Time.