TikTok Updates Parental Controls and Wellness Tools for Teen Safety

As social media continues to influence how young people connect, learn, and express themselves, TikTok is expanding its efforts to foster a safe and balanced digital experience for teens. The platform has introduced new Family Pairing features, providing parents with greater control over their teens’ screen time, content interactions, and digital habits. Additionally, TikTok is rolling out a wind-down feature to reduce nighttime screen use and promote healthier online behaviour.

Since the launch of Family Pairing five years ago, TikTok has refined its parental control tools in response to feedback from families and digital safety experts. The latest updates empower parents to:

• Establish “Time Away” schedules, restricting TikTok access during key periods such as family time, school hours, or bedtime.
• Monitor their teen’s social connections, including their followers, who they follow, and blocked accounts.
• Receive notifications when their teen reports a video, ensuring awareness of potentially inappropriate content.
• Customize screen time limits, differentiating restrictions for weekdays and weekends.
• Reinstate private account settings if their teen switches to a public profile, reinforcing TikTok’s commitment to privacy and online safety.

Promoting Healthier Digital Habits with Nighttime Wind-Down Tools

Acknowledging the impact of screen time on sleep quality, TikTok is introducing a wind-down feature for users under 16 who remain active on the app after 10 PM. This feature will:

• Display a full-screen prompt with calming music, encouraging teens to take a break from their screens.
• Present a second, harder-to-dismiss reminder if the initial prompt is ignored, reinforcing the need for digital rest.
• Pilot meditation exercises within the wind-down feature, leveraging research that highlights the benefits of mindfulness for sleep quality.
• TikTok has tested this feature in select regions, and early results indicate that most teens opt to keep the reminders on, demonstrating its potential to promote healthier digital habits.

Expanding Access to Educational Content and Learning Opportunities

Beyond entertainment, TikTok has become a valuable platform for educational content. The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) feed, now accessible in over 100 countries, is helping millions of teens engage with STEM topics in an interactive and engaging way. Parents now have the ability to reactivate the STEM feed if their teen has turned it off, ensuring continued access to enriching content.

Advancing Digital Safety and Age Assurance

Ensuring age-appropriate experiences remains a top priority for TikTok. The platform is:

• Enhancing AI-driven age detection technology to prevent users under 13 from accessing TikTok.
• Exploring age verification methods through phone providers, collaborating with Telefónica.
• Participating in global discussions on industry-wide age assurance policies through the WeProtect Global Alliance.

In addition, TikTok’s Digital Safety Partnership for Families offers resources to help caregivers facilitate conversations about online safety and establish healthy digital boundaries.

Expert Perspectives on TikTok’s Safety Initiatives

Dr. Vicki Harrison from Stanford Psychiatry’s Center for Youth Mental Health & Wellbeing commended TikTok’s new measures, stating:

“TikTok has responded to calls from both youth and their families for more tools that will help them support their well-being while using the app. Prioritizing sleep, balanced usage, and more parent-teen interactions around social media use are all positive steps.”

Highlighting the benefits of these updates, Stephen Balkam, CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute, said: “TikTok’s latest parental controls and online safety tools are a welcome development for families looking to both protect their children from harm and empower them as responsible digital citizens.”