Asger Risom
TikTok is introducing a wave of digital well-being tools designed to help users step back from the app instead of sinking deeper into it.
TikTok is introducing a wave of digital well-being tools designed to help users step back from the app instead of sinking deeper into it. The company says the new features aim to support healthier habits — and will even reward people for staying within their limits.
The changes come as tech platforms face mounting pressure to improve online safety for teens.
New Well-Being Hub
TikTok announced that its redesigned screen-time management page now includes several mental-health-focused tools. These additions include an affirmation journal with more than 120 positive prompts, a background sound generator that plays calming audio such as rain or ocean waves, and a guided breathing exercise module.
The updated hub will also highlight videos from creators who share advice on limiting time in the app, using parental controls and tailoring recommendations to reduce stress.
The company told reporters the redesign stems from growing demand for built-in tools that make it easier to take breaks or manage time online.
Badges for Balance
One of TikTok’s most attention-grabbing additions is a new badge system designed to reward users — especially teens — for healthy usage patterns. The company said it reviewed academic research and found that strict time-limit tools can sometimes backfire, leading to frustration rather than balance. The badge system is meant to encourage steadier, less punitive habits.
Users can earn badges by completing various wellness-related “missions.” These include avoiding the app during designated sleep hours, using the new meditation and breathing tools, setting daily screen-time limits and staying within them, reviewing weekly usage reports, and inviting friends to join the challenges.
TikTok shared that early tests showed significantly more users visiting the new well-being section compared to the previous version, with the affirmation journal proving especially popular.
Nudges When It Counts
To make the tools more visible, TikTok will prompt users when it detects late-night activity or when they reach their daily limit. A link to the well-being features will appear automatically in these moments, encouraging people to take a pause.
The platform also noted that it expanded parental controls earlier this year. Those updates allow guardians to block specific accounts and receive notifications when teens publish public posts or stories. In recent weeks, tech companies including Meta, YouTube, OpenAI and Discord have all launched new teen-safety features in a broader industry push to address online harms.
Sources: Techcrunch, TikTok
This article is made and published by Asger Risom, who may have used AI in the preparation
