As social media continues to shape the way young people connect, learn, and express themselves, TikTok is taking further steps to ensure a safe and balanced experience for teens. The platform has announced a series of new Family Pairing features that provide parents with more control over their teens’ screen time, content interactions, and overall digital habits. Additionally, TikTok is introducing a wind-down feature designed to help teens reduce nighttime screen use and encourage healthier digital habits.
Empowering Parents with Customizable Controls
Since launching Family Pairing five years ago, TikTok has continuously refined its parental control tools based on feedback from families and digital safety experts. The latest enhancements allow parents to:
- Set “Time Away” schedules to block TikTok access during designated hours, such as family time, school hours, or bedtime.
- Monitor their teen’s network, including who they follow, who follows them, and any accounts they’ve blocked.
- Receive alerts when their teen reports a video, ensuring they are aware of potentially inappropriate content.
- Control screen time limits, allowing parents to tailor usage caps based on weekdays versus weekends.
Additionally, parents can reinstate private account settings if their teen has switched to a public profile, reinforcing TikTok’s commitment to online safety and privacy.
Encouraging Balanced Digital Habits with Nighttime Wind-Down Features
Recognizing the impact of screen time on sleep quality, TikTok is launching a wind-down feature for users under 16 who are active on the app after 10 PM. This feature will:
- Interrupt the “For You” feed with a full-screen prompt and calming music, reminding teens to take a break.
- If ignored, a second, harder-to-dismiss reminder will appear, reinforcing the need for a digital pause.
- Pilot meditation exercises within the wind-down feature, based on research suggesting that mindful meditation can improve sleep quality.
TikTok has already tested this feature in select countries, and early results show that most teens opt to keep the reminders on, demonstrating its effectiveness in promoting better digital habits.
Fostering Educational Engagement and Safe Learning Spaces
Beyond entertainment, TikTok has evolved into a hub for educational content. The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) feed—now available in over 100 countries—is helping millions of teens engage with STEM topics in a fun and interactive way. Parents will now have the option to re-enable the STEM feed if their teen has turned it off, ensuring they have access to enriching content.
Advancing Age Assurance and Digital Safety
Age verification remains a top priority for TikTok, as ensuring age-appropriate experiences is critical to online safety. The platform is:
- Enhancing AI-driven age detection to prevent users under 13 from accessing TikTok.
- Exploring age verification through phone providers, in partnership with Telefónica.
- Supporting global discussions on industry-wide age assurance policies through the WeProtect Global Alliance.
Additionally, TikTok’s Digital Safety Partnership for Families provides resources for caregivers to start conversations about online safety and create healthy digital boundaries together.
Experts Weigh In on TikTok’s Safety Initiatives
Dr. Vicki Harrison from Stanford Psychiatry’s Center for Youth Mental Health & Wellbeing praised TikTok’s new initiatives, 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.”
Stephen Balkam, CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute, echoed this sentiment:
“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.”
