Tik-Tok is a popular social media app among teenagers. It has been around since 2016, and continues to grow in popularity. However, the Chinese-based company just recently made an announcement. Starting soon, people under the age of 18 will only be able to access the app for 60 minutes per day.
Every month, one billion people actively use the app. However, there is reason to believe that these numbers could drop drastically after the company’s new decision. These actions are likely to take effect in the coming weeks, as they haven’t released a statement saying otherwise. It is strongly suggested that the company is taking these measures after the surge of research and lawsuits into the effect of social media on teenagers. But this begs the question, will this be a stepping stone for other social media apps and websites in the future?
The first thing to consider when thinking about the likeliness of another media app adding a time limit, is profits. Profits for a company are what keep them going, or more specifically ads. If you limit the time a user can use an app, it roughly translates to the company making less money, as fewer people would see an advertisement. Another thing to look at is the popularity of the app. Tik-Tok will likely see a decrease in popularity in younger audiences, as it doesn’t seem as appealing with a time limit. A major flaw with this new rule comes to mind. Kids under the age of 18 can create a parent account and extend their time allowed on the app.
However, even with this news being made public by both the company and by news stations, many kids still aren’t aware of the changes to come. Olivia Lavernuick, a junior, says it doesn’t make a difference to her. She said, “I’m not really ever on it enough for it to matter.” On the other hand, Maddie Esposito cares very much about the matter. “If the app does that, they’re going to lose users. I personally love Tik-Tok.”
Tik-Tok is likely to see a decrease in activity among users in the following months. There is a possibility that the company decides to retract the new rule to get their profits back up to where they once were. Also, there is a chance that teenagers can find their way around the limit, and continue using it as they please. In theory, it was a good idea, but it just has too many flaws to stay afloat.
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