MANILA, Philippines – TikTok on Friday, March 3, announced that “in the coming weeks,” users under 18 will be asked if they want to continue using the app after 60 minutes of screen time. The users will be prompted to enter a passcode in order to continue watching, should they want to do so.

TikTok says that the prompt requires the user to make an “active decision” to extend that time, citing research which said that being aware of “how we spend our time can help us be more intentional about the decisions we make.”

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TikTok said that such a prompt may encourage and increase the use of screen-time tools, which are also used by companies like Apple and Google on their own platforms to give users a way to monitor and know how much they’re on their devices.

The feature isn’t strictly enforced as users can opt out of the 60-minute default screen time notification setting. However, the feature also works with TikTok’s “Family Pairing” capability, which gives a guardian the option to turn the new setting on.

Parents and guardians can also review their children’s screen-time figures, and set a schedule when TikTok notifications are muted. A new sleep-reminder feature was also launched with the update. – Rappler.com