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TikTok sets time limit of 60 minutes for teens. The move could create mindful social media use.

Teens will have to enter a passcode to extend their time.

TikTok; TikTok time limit; social media; teen mental health; mental health
Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

TikTok sets time limit of 60 minutes for teens.

TikTok has been on the minds of teens and adults alike over the past few years. During the pandemic, the video social media app helped bored teens and adults pass the time learning viral dances or doing internet challenges. But recently, it has come under more scrutiny for security concerns as well as mental health concerns for its teen users.

Social media and the significant role it plays in the decline of adolescent mental health has been a prime discussion as study after study raises concern. Teens don't just face cyberbullying via social media apps, they're also susceptible to body image issues and feelings of low self-esteem based off of the images they see online.

It seems that TikTok has taken note of the concerns and is attempting to help teens set healthier boundaries around the use of the app. The social media giant announced that they would be setting a default time limit of one hour for app users under the age of 18. After the hour is up, teen users will have to make a conscious choice whether they want to keep scrolling by typing in a passcode. This obviously won't solve all of the problems, but the tech company could be on to something.


Teenagers are generally more impulsive due to the way human brains develop. Our frontal lobes aren't fully developed until we reach our mid to late 20s and since this is the part of the brain that controls impulses, it's not a surprise teens are more likely to impulsively scroll. The reward factor is also high with fast-paced apps like TikTok. With each new video, dopamine is released in your brain, and if you couple that feel-good chemical reaction with low impulse control, you've got a recipe for endless engagement—unless it's interrupted.

TikTok's new feature will act as an interrupter for teens. sort of like when a person is daydreaming and someone snaps their fingers to break through to the daydreamer. The 60-minute notification will act as a virtual finger snap, giving teens a second to decide if it's time to put down the phone.

The company also goes a step further for users under 13. In a press release, TikTok says that younger teens will still have the automatic hour time limit, but when their time is up, the parent/guardian will have to enter the passcode. This will only permit an additional 30 minutes of scroll time.

TikTok; TikTok time limit; social media; teen mental health; mental health

TikTok time limit screen

TikTok press release

The time limits aren't arbitrarily chosen by the social media powers that be. "While there's no collectively-endorsed position on the 'right' amount of screen time or even the impact of screen time more broadly, we consulted the current academic research and experts from the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children's Hospital in choosing this limit," Cormac Keenan, Head of Trust and Safety said.

This move isn't going to stop teens from overindulging in social media, but it's something, and it shows that these big tech giants are at least taking note of the potential impacts on young users.

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Women working in Africa’s cocoa farms have received business education programs for 15 years. Here’s how that benefits the entire world.

All images provided by CARE & Cargill

The impact of the CARE and Cargill partnership goes beyond empowering cocoa farmers

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Cocoa, the key ingredient found in your favorite chocolate bar, has been a highly revered food product throughout human history. It’s been used for religious ceremonies in Peru, royal feasts in England and France, traded as currency for the ancient Mayans. And considering that many of us enjoy chocolate on a regular basis (mochas and candy bars, anyone?) it seems like that love is still going strong even today.

And if you are someone who looks forward to that sweet chocolate pick-me-up on a regular basis, you likely have the women of West Africa to thank.

Women like Barbara Sika Larweh, a mother of six who works as a cocoa farmer in Larwehkrom, a community located within the Sefwi Wiawso Municipality in the Western North Region of Ghana.

care, cargillMama Cash now empowers other women to gain independence

Nearly 60% of the world’s cocoa comes from both Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, where Barbara and other mothers make up over half of the labor force. These female cocoa farmers shoulder the same physical burden as their male counterparts—all while also running households and paying for their children to go to school. And yet, they typically don’t receive equal income. Nor do they have access to the resources that could help them achieve financial independence.

Thankfully, positive changes are taking place. Barbara’s story exemplifies the impact of programs offered by CARE and Cargill, such as Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA), which are small groups that offer low-interest loans to individuals living in poverty, helping them to build savings without going into devastating debt.

Through these initiatives, women, like Barbara, are equipped with vital knowledge like financial literacy to improve household incomes, sustainable agriculture practices that improve yields, and nutrition education to diversify their family’s diets.

“They came and trained me on the VSLA. I dedicated myself and volunteered so that I would be able to train my people, too,” Barbara explains.

Within the first year of using the programs, Barbara and the people she trained profited—earning her the nickname of “Mama Cash.”

This is no isolated event. In cocoa-growing communities supported by CARE and Cargill programming between 2019-2022, the number of households living below the national poverty line decreased by nearly 32% in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana - as a direct result of increasing and diversifying income through using these programs.

Like Barbara, who today is an executive member of the Community Development Committee, more than 2.4 million women have used their success as entrepreneurs to transform into leaders and decision-makers within their communities. Whether it’s giving most of their earnings back to their families, reducing child labor, or exponentially increasing overall farm yields, the rippling effect is profound.

The impact of the CARE and Cargill partnership goes beyond empowering cocoa farmers. The joint initiatives have fostered progress on complex global issues related to social justice, such as gender equality, climate change, and food security. By improving access to quality nutrition, water, and hygiene, the joint programs have positively influenced the cocoa communities’ well-being.

Suddenly there’s a lot more to think about the next time you eat a candy bar.

Find out more about the important partnership between CARE and Cargill here.
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