According to CNN Business, parents now have access to additional controls over the TikTok app, which is popular with teenagers.
About a month ago, TikTok announced that the company was partnering with some of the platform’s rising stars.
These individuals would encourage current users to learn how to apply the screen time management tools in order to monitor their daily use.
This is happening in response to the growing concern of many parents that their teens are spending too much time using the app.
During the previous year, the TikTok app released a time management feature to the platform. This is a part of the screen that people who enjoy the platform can use to impose limits on the amount of time they spend on the app.
The ability to restrict the amount of time spent on the platform every day is as beneficial for adult users as for parents of teens.
It functions as a useful tool for managing time while allowing fans to continue using the technology.
About TikTok
TikTok is a popular short-form video platform that is available in some European countries.
Company representatives gave no immediate response when questioned about any future plans for expanding into other countries, including the United States.
Currently, there is a version of the app geared towards U.S. users, but it’s considered to be a beginner’s platform with restricted features.
During the initial phase of its deployment, excessive teen use became an issue. It also gained a lot of attention from parents who expressed concerns about how often the app was being used.
Teens who spend an inordinate amount of time using TikTok often neglect their studies and other social obligations in the real world.
TikTok Releases Family Safety Mode
The app recently released a new feature that is called the Family Safety Mode. This allows parents to exercise control over how much time their children are able to spend on the platform.
Time limit controls give parents the ability to allow teens to use the app for a specific duration of time. For example, a parent can now restrict the time available to sessions of 40, 60 or 90 minutes.
Other features now come under parental controls. Parents have the ability to disable direct messaging, which can relieve the anxiety associated with not knowing the identity of people who are communicating with their teen.
Content can also be restricted, and this allows parents to determine what type of material the teen can access.
The ability to control the type of content accessible to children in various age groups is an important tool for any parent.
According to the influencer marketing firm, Mediakix, the TikTok app is most popular with users who are between the ages of 16 and 25. This group is sometimes called Gen Z, and they represent around 60 percent of the users currently located within the U.S.
The app’s primary appeal comes from the user’s ability to share short clips that are around 15 seconds long.
Users will typically post and share video clips of quick comedic skits, dancing, lip-synch and other creative content.
These clips often get created as a response to various challenges that will pop up while using the platform.
Viral Videos, Privacy and Parenting
The app has some unique features that create a situation where parents are forced to confront various issues about how their teens interact with others on the app.
This includes topics related to privacy, for example; however, there are also other questions that come up around the ability of talented teens to become virtual stars overnight.
Viral videos sometimes catapult a previously unknown teen into the realm of stardom, and profits earned from the platform create a new dynamic.
Most parents have little experience grappling with these types of complex social and economic realities when it comes to setting guidelines for their children.
Future Projections
The future projections for the app trend towards expansion into new regions.
There is currently a version of TikTok that’s available for users under the age of 13 in the U.S. However, this version disables sharing, commenting and messaging.
The TikTok content available is age-appropriate for this version of the app. This design is intentional, and it reflects the company’s wish to align function with social ethics.
According to Cormac Keenan, the lead manager for public trust and safety within the EMEA region, the app is designed like this for good reason.
“We want people to have fun on TikTok, but it’s also important for our community to look after their well-being, which means having a healthy relationship with online apps and services,” he wrote in a recent blog post.
Future releases of new versions promise to continue this trend of ethical app development.
