Latest news with #digitalwellbeing
GSM Arena
4 hours ago
- GSM Arena
TikTok launches Well-being Missions in a bid to get you to spend more time on TikTok
TikTok knows how addictive it can become for people, and so it's been spending a lot of time trying to convince us that it wants to help mitigate that. The latest example of this in action is its announcement today of "Well-being Missions", described as "a series of short, engaging missions designed to help people develop long-term balanced digital habits". And you learn about balanced digital habits by engaging in gamified missions, since the concept of irony is yet to be invented at TikTok HQ, apparently. So you'll collect badges that "encourage and reinforce mindful behaviors" because that's definitely the point of being mindful - having a badge that you can brag about. The first set, TikTok says (of missions, we assume), focuses on awareness of its Digital Well-being tools, "but that's only the start". It threatens (sorry, promises) to build even more of these missions "in the coming months". TikTok says it's seen "encouraging levels of interest" in this feature, as "nearly 40% of people who came across the entry point chose to explore Well-being Missions" even with no in-app promotion of it. TikTok clearly isn't aware that well over 40% of people driving next to a car crash will slow down and look at it, which doesn't actually mean car crashes are a well received feature of roads. TikTok says it's building "a new in-app experience focused on digital well-being", because it knows that for the sake of its bottom line it can't outright tell people to stop using it, so instead we get a bunch of features that only serve to keep you on the app more. Coming soon: breathing exercises, calming audio tracks, and "screen time insights" to help people "pause, recharge, and use TikTok intentionally" (seriously). All of these will join the naturally already available meditation feature. In TikTok. Source
CNET
6 hours ago
- CNET
YouTube's Age-Estimation Tech Will Spot Kids Pretending to Be Adults. Here's How It Works
If kids are lying about their age, YouTube will know about it. Or at least will try to find out. The streaming service announced it's rolling out age-estimation technology that will use various data to determine if someone is under the age of 18, and then use that signal "to deliver our age-appropriate product experiences and protections." Basically -- assuming it works as it should -- kids will not be able to access what YouTube deems as age-restricted content. Google, YouTube's parent company, announced in February that it would begin deploying this type of technology, which relies on AI, to determine users' ages. YouTube said it will test the machine-learning tech on a small set of users in the US to estimate their age. Some of the signals they will look at include "the types of videos a user is searching for, the categories of videos they have watched, or the longevity of the account." After ensuring the age-verification is working as intended, YouTube will then roll it out more widely. The move is another step in the growing age-verification push that is being hastened by the US and other governments trying to prevent children from accessing content deemed harmful, unhealthy and not appropriate for their age. If its age-estimation system decides someone is under 18, YouTube will then: disable personalized advertising turn on digital wellbeing tools add safeguards to recommendations, including limiting repetitive views of some content People who are actually adults but who have been wrongly identified as children will be able to verify that they are 18 or older by using a credit card or a government ID.
CNET
19-07-2025
- CNET
Need to Decrease Your Screen Time? Change These iPhone and Android Settings Now
If well-meaning friends and family have told you recently to go touch grass, this is for you. Whether you're scrolling on your phone or working on a laptop, it's too easy to rack up ungodly screen time numbers throughout the week. And I'm sure it's not breaking news to you that screen time is not so great for your physical and mental health. But even with good reason and intentions to limit your screen time, it can be hard to stop doomscrolling. That's why both Apple and Google launched the first versions of their digital well-being features in 2018 to help us disconnect. Newer generations of software like iOS 18 and Android 16 have added more functionalities that can help you put down your phone. Here's how to take advantage of the digital wellness settings on Apple and Android devices, including how to set up app timers, downtime and bedtime mode. For more, check out these essential iPhone and iPad parental controls. Set up app timers on iPhone, iPad and Mac You can set up app timers on your iPhone, iPad, and your Mac. By adding a timer to apps in your settings, you're giving yourself an allotted amount of time on each app -- once time is up, Apple will stop your scroll and alert you that it's time to log off. Before you begin, it's important that you have screen time notifications allowed. Check this setting under Settings > Notifications > Screen Time and ensure you have enabled Allow Notifications and Time Sensitive Notifications. Here's how to create time limits for your apps on your iPhone, iPad and Mac: Open your iPhone, iPad or Mac's Settings and tap Screen Time. Tap App Limits. Tap Add Limit. Select the individual or categories of apps you want to set timers for. Tap Next in the upper right corner. Scroll and set the amount of time you want to allow yourself on each app. Tap Customize Days if you want to customize your limit's schedule. Tap Add in the upper right corner. This is what it looks like when you are in an app when time is up (left) and the view from your home screen after (right). Katelyn Chedraoui/CNET Once you're approaching your set time limit, Apple will send you a notification when you've got 5 minutes remaining. After you hit your limit, the app stops whatever it's doing and presents you with a new screen that prompts you to tap OK to exit the app. If you're doing something particularly urgent, you can tap Ignore Limit below. After you've hit your limit for the day, the app will appear grayed out on your home screen with an empty timer next to it. Read More: This App Blocks Your Social Media Until You (Literally) Touch Grass Set up downtime on iPhone, iPad and Mac Another way to limit your screen time on Apple devices is to schedule downtime. Downtime is just what it sounds like -- time to put down your device and do something else. This setting will alert you once your chosen rest period begins. Here's how to set up downtime: Open your iPhone, iPad or Mac's Settings and tap Screen Time. Tap Downtime. Toggle on the widget next to Scheduled. Set your downtime schedule. Set up app timers and bedtime mode on your Android phone now. Screenshots by Moe Long Set up app timers on Android phones and computers If you have a Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy or another Android smartphone, you can set up time limits for each app as well. These settings give you the same options as Apple to set an allotment of time you can spend on each app. Here's how to set them up. Open your Android's Settings. Tap Digital wellbeing and parental controls. Tap the screen time graph. Find the app you want to set a limit for. Tap the hourglass icon next to the app you want to set a limit for. Set the amount of time you want to give yourself on each app. Tap OK. App timers on Android phones reset each day at midnight. Read More: Looking Down at Your Phone is Distressing Your Neck. Here's How to Correct Tech Neck Set up bedtime mode on Android phones, tablets and Chromebooks You can also limit your screen time by establishing a bedtime routine for your Android. This will alert you when it's time to put your device down for the night according to your schedule. Here's how to do this. Open your Android's Settings. Tap Digital wellbeing and parental controls. Tap Bedtime mode. Tap Bedtime routine. Choose whether to set a custom schedule or pick Turn on while charging, then select your desired time frame. For more about digital well-being, check out one expert's reasons to consider a social media detox and CNET's picks for the best apps to help manage your screen time.
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Is THIS the key to finally slashing screentime? 'Dumb' iPhone is devoid of the internet, games, or social media apps - but it comes at a hefty price
If you're in the clutches of smartphone addiction, a 'dumb' new device promises to dramatically slash your screen time. The Sage phone is a simplified iPhone handset launched in the UK this week by American technology firm Techless. It comes without internet, web browsers, games and social apps like TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook. Simply a modified iPhone 16 loaded with custom software, its lack of engaging apps is designed to encourage smartphone addicts to turn their attention elsewhere. According to the firm, the simplified handset lets children and adults 'reconnect with real life' and reclaim important 'life hours' - but it comes at a hefty price. The Sage phone starts from £119 per month, which is more than double the cost of a typical two-year iPhone contract. According to Techless, the Sage phone is 'built on a foundation of digital wellbeing and simplicity' and offers a 'sleek, secure alternative to traditional smartphones'. 'Designed for children taking their first step into digital life, as well as adults seeking a healthier relationship with tech, Sage challenges the norms of always-on culture,' it said. The Sage phone is an iPhone 16 but with modified software that prevents the internet and certain apps from being accessed The new device has been created with children in mind, although it's suitable for adults in the throes of a smartphone addition too. Chris Kaspar, CEO and founder of Techless, said his firm 'didn't want to build a "parental control" phone where parents keep tabs on what kids are looking at.' 'We wanted to build a device that's safe by design, not safe by surveillance,' said Kaspar, who has six children with his wife in Texas. 'With Sage, we've created a smartphone that helps people reconnect with real life, not just reduce screen time.' The Sage phone is available as two modified iPhone models – the iPhone 16e and iPhone 16 Pro – which are loaded with Sage's custom software. Although it won't allow downloads of popular additive apps such as WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, it's not completely lacking in apps. Preloaded are some described as 'essential' – among them Phone, Messages, Maps, Calendar, Calculator, PayPal, Spotify, Uber and the camera app. While a typical iPhone is 'built for endless engagement', the Sage phone only carries the essentials that a young adult getting their first taste of independence might need. Preloaded are some apps described as 'essential' - Phone, Messages, Maps, Calendar, Calculator, PayPal, Spotify, Uber and the camera app. For example, if a young user of the Sage phone was at a parent-free school ball, they'd be able to take photos, phone their parents for a lift and listen to music on the way back. In this way, Sage phone is truer to the concept of what a mobile phone was 20 years ago, but packaged in the familiar confines of a modern device. Techless acknowledges that kids are 'smart' and know how to delete apps, perform factory resets and download VPNs in an attempt to access the apps they want. But the firm promises parents there are 'no loopholes for workarounds', meaning young users won't be able to trick the software into downloading the banned platforms. For adults, meanwhile, the device offers acts a form of 'rebellion against digital noise' – ideal for creatives, minimalists, and anyone who wants to 'live more and scroll less'. It will give people a clean break from time-sapping social apps, although they'll have to rely on Messages instead of WhatsApp to keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues. Already available in the US, the Sage phone was officially launched on Wednesday and is available for Brits to pre-order on the Sage website before shipping the week starting August 25. It costs £119 per month for a modified iPhone 16e (which includes the Apple Care insurance policy) or £149 for the iPhone 16 Pro (which includes Apple Care Plus). The brand's UK launch coincides with increasing concerns surrounding online safety and smartphone addiction for kids and teens. The Sage phone aims to greatly reduce the risk of kids being contacted online by eliminating the platforms sexual predators use. A recent NSPCC report revealed more than 7,000 online grooming crimes were recorded in the UK in a single year, with most victims aged 12 to 15. Heavy smartphone use in kids has been linked with mental health problems like depression, emotional isolation, reduced physical inactivity and poor sleep patterns. According to a study last year, one fifth of teens have 'problematic' smartphone use putting them at risk of issues like depression. Another 2024 study found children addicted to technology including smartphones and video games are more at risk of psychosis. What is smartphone addiction? Currently, smartphone addiction isn't officially recognised by psychologists as a separate mental condition like depression or bipolar disorder. However, the term has now become far more accepted as scientists warn of a worrying rise in cases. Recent studies have suggested more than a quarter of the global population suffers from smartphone addiction while rates could be as high as 70 per cent in countries such as China and Saudi Arabia. Likewise, a survey from the Pew Research Center found that 95 per cent of UK teens said that they were online 'almost constantly'. However, several prominent researchers suggest that this could be stretching the term 'addiction' a little too far. Professor Mark Griffiths, a leading expert on internet addiction from Nottingham Trent University, told MailOnline: 'There's a difference between problematic smartphone use and addictive smartphone use.' Even if you spend hours on your phone each day and feel that you just can't put your phone down, that doesn't necessarily mean you are addicted. Previous studies have shown that problematic smartphone use has generally increased across the world. However, many people may have problematic use but not be fully addicted Addiction, unlike problematic use, changes our behaviour at the neurological level and embeds deeply compulsive and dependent behaviours. 'Most children would not ever fulfil my criteria of being addicted to a smartphone,' says Professor Griffiths. 'Even though a lot of them will experience problematic use which will quite clearly have detrimental effects on their life.' Professor Griffiths adds: 'If I'm assessing smartphone addiction I'm using the word addiction in exactly the same way I would apply it to heroin, alcohol, or any other drugs.' Likewise, Dr Daria Kuss, a chartered psychologist and expert on addictive behaviour from Nottingham Trent University, told MailOnline: 'Smartphone addiction is a psychological condition in which a user develops symptoms traditionally associated with substance dependence.'
CNET
14-07-2025
- CNET
Hack Your Screen Time With These iOS 18 and Android 16 Wellness Settings
If you've been told recently you need to go touch grass, this is for you. Whether you're scrolling on your phone or working on a laptop, it's too easy to rack up ungodly screen time numbers throughout the week. And I'm sure it's not breaking news to you that screen time is not so great for your physical and mental health. But even with good reason and intentions to limit your screen time, it can be hard to stop doomscrolling. That's why both Apple and Google launched the first versions of their digital well-being features in 2018 to help us disconnect. Newer generations of software like iOS 18 and Android 16 have added more functionalities since the initial launch. Here's how to take advantage of the digital wellness settings on Apple and Android devices, including how to set up app timers, downtime and bedtime mode. For more, check out these essential iPhone and iPad parental controls. Set up app timers on iPhone, iPad and Mac You can set up app timers on your iPhone, iPad, and your Mac. By adding a timer to apps in your settings, you're giving yourself an allotted amount of time on each app -- once time is up, Apple will stop your scroll and alert you that it's time to log off. Before you begin, it's important that you have screen time notifications allowed. Check this setting under Settings > Notifications > Screen Time and ensure you have enabled Allow Notifications and Time Sensitive Notifications. Here's how to create time limits for your apps on your iPhone, iPad and Mac: Open your iPhone, iPad or Mac's Settings and tap Screen Time. Tap App Limits. Tap Add Limit. Select the individual or categories of apps you want to set timers for. Tap Next in the upper right corner. Scroll and set the amount of time you want to allow yourself on each app. Tap Customize Days if you want to customize your limit's schedule. Tap Add in the upper right corner. This is what it looks like when you are in an app when time is up (left) and the view from your home screen after (right). Katelyn Chedraoui/CNET Once you're approaching your set time limit, Apple will send you a notification when you've got 5 minutes remaining. After you hit your limit, the app stops whatever it's doing and presents you with a new screen that prompts you to tap OK to exit the app. If you're doing something particularly urgent, you can tap Ignore Limit below. After you've hit your limit for the day, the app will appear grayed out on your home screen with an empty timer next to it. Read More: This App Blocks Your Social Media Until You (Literally) Touch Grass Set up downtime on iPhone, iPad and Mac Another way to limit your screen time on Apple devices is to schedule downtime. Downtime is just what it sounds like -- time to put down your device and do something else. This setting will alert you once your chosen rest period begins. Here's how to set up downtime: Open your iPhone, iPad or Mac's Settings and tap Screen Time. Tap Downtime. Toggle on the widget next to Scheduled. Set your downtime schedule. Set up app timers and bedtime mode on your Android phone now. Screenshots by Moe Long Set up app timers on Android phones and computers If you have a Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy or another Android smartphone, you can set up time limits for each app as well. These settings give you the same options as Apple to set an allotment of time you can spend on each app. Here's how to set them up. Open your Android's Settings. Tap Digital wellbeing and parental controls. Tap the screen time graph. Find the app you want to set a limit for. Tap the hourglass icon next to the app you want to set a limit for. Set the amount of time you want to give yourself on each app. Tap OK. App timers on Android phones reset each day at midnight. Set up bedtime mode on Android phones, tablets and Chromebooks You can also limit your screen time by establishing a bedtime routine for your Android. This will alert you when it's time to put your device down for the night according to your schedule. Here's how to do this. Open your Android's Settings. Tap Digital wellbeing and parental controls. Tap Bedtime mode. Tap Bedtime routine. Choose whether to set a custom schedule or pick Turn on while charging, then select your desired time frame. For more about digital well-being, check out one expert's reasons to consider a social media detox and CNET's picks for the best apps to help manage your screen time.
