Despite being aware of TikTok’s addictive nature and its harmful effects on children, ByteDance has done little to curb its use and now faces possible bans

Controversy is not new for TikTok and conflicts do arise from time to time, especially in China and the US, where temporary bans are occasionally imposed. It is constantly criticized for app addiction, especially among the younger generation, and its associated harmful effects. To address these concerns, ByteDance introduced screen time limits, but recently leaked documents revealed that the limit tools were ineffective. Due to the lack of real efforts to mitigate the negative effects of its use, TikTok is currently facing several lawsuits.

Accidentally released TikTok documents show that ByteDance was aware of the app’s harmful effects on children and continued anyway

Accidentally uncovered TikTok documents recently raised serious concerns and shed light on the platform’s negative impact on children. According to the document, ByteDance, which owns TikTok, is aware that the app is addictive, particularly among young children, and acknowledges that it can harm their intellectual and social development.

As NPR reports, the documents were part of the ongoing two-year investigation and were filed as part of a lawsuit TikTok was facing. The material was intended to remain confidential, but an error in the editorial process resulted in the information being inadvertently disclosed. Kentucky Public Radio then released excerpts of the results, including:

TikTok calculated exactly how long it takes for someone to watch a habit: 260 videos.

The investigators stated that a user is very likely to become addicted to the platform after the allotted viewing time. They continued:

TikTok videos can be up to 8 seconds long and automatically play to viewers in quick succession. Therefore, it is likely that an average user will become addicted to the platform in less than 35 minutes.

But that’s not the only worrying part, as it is said that TikTok’s creators were aware of the harmful mental and social impact that expanded viewership of the platform has on children’s development, as their own research mentions the connection between the two . The documents also show that TikTok knew how interacting with its app disrupted sleep, work and family life. TikTok’s own research states:

Compulsive drinking also interferes with essential personal responsibilities such as getting enough sleep, work/school responsibilities, and contact with loved ones.

To make matters worse, the screen time tool introduced by ByteDance with a default limit of 60 minutes to combat the ongoing problems proved ineffective, had no significant impact and was more of a publicity stunt. The lack of adequate measures to curb its use has drawn strong criticism. The company is now battling lawsuits in several US states and has to deal with possible TikTok bans in Europe and the US