The application TikTok needs no introduction. Although India banned TikTok and dozens of other Chinese apps, including the messaging app WeChat, in 2020 over privacy and security concerns, many users from other countries posted videos saying they are deleting the app today, March 3.
But for those who don't know what TikTok is, it hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from three seconds to ten minutes. Also, it is known in China as Douyin, which is a short-form video hosting service owned by the Chinese company, ByteDance. Now, why are users posting videos saying they will delete TikTok on March 3? And what is the new measure the app came up with?
First, why are users planning to delete their accounts?
The reason is all about a trend called core-core and how the users feel as if they are wasting their life scrolling on the app.
What is core-core?
As per reports, core-core means scrolling past videos endlessly and assuming that one is not going to stop at any point soon. This process is called core-core. To brief in general terms, almost every one of us must have had sleepless nights scrolling through the videos on the app. Although there is no real definition of what the core-core videos are, they essentially make one's mind feel empty while leaving one wanting more.
Core-core can include memes, football clips, little snippets from a sad movie with melancholic music or any other type of video the creators want to create.
What does core-core have to do with deleting an account?
There are two versions for users deleting the app. One scenario is where the video is automatically scrolled up and we haven't even realised — this is a major concern when it comes to controlling and stopping the consumption of videos. Secondly, other reports note that users feel more stress-free when not using the app. Additionally, scrolling for hours on the app certainly isn’t great for mental health. To note, sometimes, TikTok displays content that could be triggering.
What is this new 60-minute time limit?
TikTok app sets a 60-minute daily time limit for users under 18 years of age. As per a report by BBC News, the owner of the app, ByteDance, said it is introducing the feature to help people "stay in control" of their use.
Further, TikTok said the new limit comes after it brought in a prompt last year to encourage teens to manage their screen time. It said this helped "increase the use of our screen time tools by 234%".
How does this time-limit feature work?
As per the new feature, those under 18 years of age will receive a weekly notification with a "recap of their screen time". Do note, the minimum age of the users should be 13 years.
Further, affected users will receive their new time limit passcode on their app as and when the changes take effect. Moreover, those who opt out of the new 60-minute restriction and proceed further to use the app for 100 minutes a day, will receive a prompt from TikTok to set their own screen time controls.
If the user's account is under parental control then the Family Pairing option on the app will also help set screen time limits. Additionally, they will have access to a dashboard which would give a breakdown of app usage.
Further, speaking about this new feature, the head of trust and safety at TikTok, Cormac Keenan, said that the company had worked with researchers in developing the new limits. "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," he said.
