TikTok Introduces 60-Minute Daily Screen Time Limit for Users Under 18—Should Everyone Follow Suit?
TikTok has implemented daily screen time restrictions for young users, a strategy that can benefit individuals of all ages seeking to enhance their mental well-being.
CloseSarah Fielding is a writer specializing in mental health and women's issues.
Key Insights
- Starting March 1, TikTok enforces a 60-minute daily usage limit for users under 18.
- Social media can negatively impact sleep quality and increase anxiety.
- Effective methods to reduce social media usage include disabling notifications and keeping phones out of reach during sleep.
On March 1, TikTok introduced an automatic daily limit of 60 minutes for users below 18 years old. Once the time is up, continuing to use the app requires entering a passcode. This encourages conscious decision-making instead of endless scrolling. Users under 13 must have a parent or guardian set and use the passcode to extend usage by 30 minutes.
Through family pairing features, caregivers can customize time limits, monitor screen time reports, and mute notifications. TikTok also disables push notifications after 9 PM for ages 13 to 15 and after 10 PM for ages 16 to 17.
Although this policy targets teenagers, experts suggest that similar screen time controls could benefit all age groups. Mental health professionals and users alike support this approach.
"While children and teens are more impressionable and at higher risk for excessive social media use, adults are also vulnerable," explains Dr. Zishan Khan, psychiatrist at Mindpath Health. "Social media can interfere with adults' family responsibilities and job performance."
TikTok plans to soon offer customizable screen time limits for all users, adjustable by day and time. Understanding the advantages of reduced social media exposure and how to implement it effectively is essential.
Benefits of Limiting Social Media Use Across All Ages
Research published in the Journal of Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking shows that abstaining from platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram for a week significantly improves anxiety, mood, and depression symptoms.
Dr. Khan notes that social media triggers the brain's reward system by releasing dopamine, similar to other pleasurable activities but with quicker access, which can lead to addictive behavior.
Insights from Jamila Jones, Licensed Clinical Therapist
"Setting boundaries on time and energy spent scrolling can alleviate anxiety, depression, and loneliness linked to excessive social media use," says Jamila Jones, owner of Reclaiming Minds Therapy and Wellness.
Take Genevieve's experience: during a depressive episode, her therapist advised deleting social media to prevent doomscrolling and comparison. She redirected her energy toward walking, cooking, reading, and connecting with friends via calls instead of passive likes.
"Establishing limits promotes a healthier work-life balance and mindfulness, enhancing mental resilience and overall wellness," Jones adds.
Social media's addictive design and curated content often lead users to obsess over unrealistic portrayals. Lexi, for example, spent summers since age 14 crafting a perfect online image but found relief after deleting her accounts for several months, enjoying privacy and reduced anxiety.
Matt replaced his morning and evening social media checks with reading, resulting in a positive impact on his mental health.
Additionally, using social media before bedtime can disrupt sleep due to overstimulation and blue light exposure, explains Dr. Khan.
Practical Strategies to Reduce Social Media Usage
Ignoring the temptation to extend screen time when limits appear can be challenging. So, how can users effectively cut down on social media?
Advice from Dr. Zishan Khan
"Social media's allure affects all ages, potentially hindering family duties and work performance," emphasizes Dr. Khan.
The most direct method is deleting accounts or apps, as Genevieve and Lexi did. Matt went further by switching to a basic phone with limited internet capabilities. However, if that feels extreme, alternative approaches exist.
Experts recommend combining tactics such as:
- Disabling notifications
- Scheduling specific social media times
- Keeping phones away during work and sleep
- Engaging in offline hobbies
- Having phone-free meals
The key is finding sustainable habits tailored to individual needs.
Potential Downsides of Reducing Social Media Use
Social media offers benefits like easy announcements and networking opportunities vital for career growth. Limiting usage might inadvertently reduce these advantages.
For instance, Genevieve reinstalled Instagram post-recovery to maintain connections and promote her book, using it intentionally while disabling notifications and hiding the app.
Jones highlights social media's role in activism and raising awareness on social issues, another reason to balance rather than eliminate usage.
These considerations support setting mindful limits rather than complete avoidance.
As Lexi reflects, "Navigating a healthy relationship with social media is complex and uncommon."
What This Means for You
Given social media's deep integration in daily life, especially for work and communication, gradually determining effective boundaries is crucial for wellbeing.
From informative to performative: understanding when social media becomes problematic.
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