TikTok Adds New Tools for Parents to Monitor Teen Activity

TikTok has introduced new features aimed at helping parents better supervise their teens' activity on the platform. These tools are part of the app’s efforts to promote safer online experiences for younger users. Parents can now manage screen time, monitor content exposure, and gain more insight into how their teens interact with TikTok. The update reflects TikTok’s commitment to enhancing digital well-being and giving families greater control over their children’s use of social media.

Parents worldwide have come to accept that concerns over teens and their use of social media are here to stay. To ease some of those concerns, TikTok has rolled out a set of new tools aimed at giving families more oversight and control over what their teenagers see on the platform.

Launched on June 3rd, these updates center around improving safety, enhancing well-being, and giving users the ability to personalize the experience for the entire household, not just teens. One major change is improved control over TikTok’s central feature: the “For You” feed.

A key addition is the "Manage Topics" function, which lets users adjust how frequently they encounter specific content categories. This tool acts like a dimmer switch, allowing users to amplify content they enjoy and reduce exposure to less desirable topics.

Though this doesn’t completely block out certain subjects, it helps users shape what appears in their feed as their preferences shift. It expands upon current personalization methods like liking content or searching for topics.

Another enhanced feature is the upgraded "Smart Keyword Filters." Users can now block up to 200 specific words or phrases, double the previous capacity. These filters are now powered by AI that goes beyond exact word matches. It can recognize related terms, slang, and synonyms, providing stronger protection from content you’d prefer to avoid.

These new settings work in tandem with tools already available, such as the ability to tap "not interested" to remove content and the option to refresh the feed completely when it becomes repetitive or outdated. One of the standout updates for families is the expanded "Family Pairing" feature, which enables parents to actively manage their teens’ accounts. This includes setting screen time limits, choosing what kind of content is viewable, and now, managing the new filtering settings as well.

To encourage better digital habits, TikTok is also adding a sleep-focused feature. A guided meditation prompt will appear around 10 p.m. to help users wind down for the night. For adults, this feature is optional and can be toggled on or off. However, for users under 18, it activates automatically after 10 p.m. If teens try to dismiss it, a larger full-screen reminder appears, making it harder to ignore.

In addition to these features, TikTok is boosting its efforts to support youth mental health.Recognizing that a significant number of young people, 73% in Australia, turn to social media for emotional support, TikTok is committing more than $2.3 million USD globally to fund organizations creating supportive and informative mental health content.

Among those benefiting are six leading groups in Australia and New Zealand, including ReachOut Australia, The Man Cave, and PROJECT ROCKIT. These organizations will receive ad credits and training to help promote positive, helpful conversations online.

While creators are optimistic that these changes will encourage cooperation between parents and teens for a safer digital experience, instead of pushing for a full social media ban, the long-term impact on family dynamics is still unfolding.

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Source: adelaidenow‍