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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- TikTok is introducing tools to fight AI and doomscrolling.
- You can earn badges for improving your digital well-being.
- A new slider lets you control how much AI content you see.
While there are numerous problems with modern-day social media, one platform is taking action. In a series of recent announcements, TikTok says it’s tackling two big issues facing social media users – endless doomscrolling and low-quality AI-generated content.
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Get rewarded for using the app less
TikTok unveiled what it’s calling “well-being missions” in a post detailing steps it’s taking to help users improve their digital well-being, including an affirmational journal, a soothing sound generator, and guided breathing exercises. If you complete these missions, you’ll receive a digital profile badge as a reward for your efforts.
Four missions are available:
- Sleep hours: To earn this badge, you’ll need to stay off TikTok at night or meditate during sleep hours. This mission lasts eight weeks, and you’ll have a “well-being tree” that grows each week.
- Daily screen time: To earn the screen time badge, set a daily screen time limit and stick to it.
- Weekly screen time: Staying on pace for a day is good, but there’s also a badge for keeping your weekly screen time under a certain mark. You’ll have access to a weekly screen time report to help keep you on pace.
- Well-being ambassador: There’s also a mission for expanding awareness of TikTok’s well-being program. If you invite others to explore the missions, you’ll earn a special ambassador badge.
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TikTok already has a screen time management tool that lets you set a screen time limit and set reminders to take a break, but the new badges provide more incentive. You can access these missions by going to your profile, tapping the three-dot menu on the top right, finding “Settings and privacy” and then choosing “Time and well-being.”
Choosing to see less AI slop
Both Spotify and Pinterest have targeted AI slop, and now it’s TikTok’s turn. A recent post details how the app is testing a tool that lets you see less AI.
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The TikTok app features a settings menu where you can adjust sliders to customize your algorithm. It includes topics like current affairs, dance, humor, pets, sports, and travel. Soon, that list will include AI-generated content. Like the other sliders, this will be set in the middle position by default. You’ll be able to move it two spaces in either direction to say whether you want more or less AI content.
To see if you have this slider, go to your profile, then tap the three-bar menu on the top right. Select “Settings and privacy,” then “Content preferences.” Tap “Manage topics.”
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