ByteDance just added in Douyin, the sister version of TikTok, mandatory pauses of five seconds between videos when a user “spends too much time” in the application to avoid addiction to the platform.
The move comes amid growing concern by the Chinese government about the amount of time young Internet users spend viewing algorithm-based content , reports the South China Morning Post.
The media indicates that the pause cannot be skipped and, in order to make users aware of Internet use, it shows videos produced with the help of the Chinese band Phoenix Legend.
The videos contain phrases such as “get off the phone”, “go to bed” or “work tomorrow” to encourage users to leave the sister application of TikTok, which in China has more than 600 million daily active users.
“If you have conversations or videos that you cannot finish today, leave them for tomorrow,” says Douyin, a company that is under the orbit of the Chinese giant ByteDance, also owner of TikTok.
However, does not make it clear after how long the mandatory pauses appear. After 10 minutes? Maybe 30? It is not clear. The truth is that this initiative arises shortly after the restrictions for adolescents.
Since the end of September, the Chinese version of TikTok has restricted access to children under 14 years of age. They can use the video app for only 40 minutes a day between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., SCMP notes.
The Chinese government has launched a strong campaign to reduce the time that young people spend online. Authorities banned those under 18 from spending more than three hours a week playing online games at the end of August, a measure that has multiple interests.
TikTok, the social network where time flies by
Credit: Unsplash There is no doubt that the design of TikTok is designed so that users stay on the platform. It is that the time of permanence is gold for these companies that seek to accumulate views and conversions in ads.
But how do they go about doing that? Those who have used TikTok at least once will remember that as soon as they enter the platform they find that infinite scroll . You can spend hours submerged in that waterfall until you say enough.
But this is not all. Behind this design is one of the most sophisticated algorithms in the world. This recommends content that gives great impact to users and they decide to stay because what they see is interesting to them.
