The change is set to come into action in the coming weeks. The company said the decision was based on current academic research as well as consultation with experts from the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital.
The limit is not a black-and-white ban, however. If the 60-minute limit is reached, teens will be prompted to enter a passcode in order to continue watching, requiring them to make an active decision to extend that time.
For users under 13, the daily screen time limit will also be set to 60 minutes, with a parent or guardian required to set or enter an existing passcode to enable 30 minutes of additional watch time.
The app has come under fire for its handling of underage users, but has brought new in measures in response to these concerns. Users aged 13-15 automatically have their accounts set to private, while direct messaging is only available to those over 16. Use of the app’s live streaming feature is restricted to users over 18.