TikTok will soon limit the amount of time minors can spend on the app

TikTok is setting a 60-minute screen time limit on its young users to get them to put down their phones. 

The social media mogul said the limit will be implemented in the coming weeks.

After 60 minutes, teens will be prompted to enter a passcode and make an "active decision" to extend their screen time, according to a press release issued by Cormac Keenan, TikTok's head of trust and safety.

While there is no right amount of screen time to spend on the app, TikTok said it settled on the 60-minute cap after consulting the Boston Children's Hospital. 

"Research also shows being more aware of how we spend our time can help us be more intentional about the decisions we make," Keenan wrote.

U.S. families have struggled to monitor the amount of time their children spend on the China-owned app.

The average viewer spends 80 minutes a day on TikTok, and two-thirds of American teens have an account, according to the Center for Countering Digital Hate.

The update comes as the app faces backlash from different governments about its security and the algorithm's ability to push harmful posts.  

A report released last year by Center for Countering Digital Hate  proved the app can be detrimental to mental health in teens. 

TikTok said Wednesday its users will be allowed to set screen time limits for each day of the week and allocate time to mute notifications. In addition, sleep reminders will be pushed on the app to motivate users to log off. 

Accounts belonging to minors will automatically implement the screen time limit in the coming weeks.