TikTok, one of the most popular social media platforms, has announced new screen-time restrictions in response to growing concerns that social-media companies need to protect the behavioral health of their young users.

For users under 18, TikTok will now automatically have a 60-minute daily screen time limit, although you can bypass it with a pin code. Those under 13 will also have a 60-minute daily limit, but a parent or guardian will have to enter a passcode to activate it.

Recent lawsuits against social-media companies have sparked important discussions about the platforms' role in healthy and unhealthy adolescent development. Many argue that social-media companies must do more to protect youth on their platforms and limit exposure to harmful content, misinformation, and inappropriate connections. Critics insist the companies are not doing enough, and also criticize TikTok's new announcement, but the issues are complex and complicated.

Limiting screen time and prompting the user to make healthy choices (like putting down the cell phone) is a great first step. But it's not that simple. As an adolescent psychiatrist and researcher focusing on the internet and social media's impact on young people's mental health, I know that there are many things to be considered and much more knowledge to be gained.

For some who may not have access to social support — perhaps including those living in rural areas and struggling with their identities — social media offers unprecedented access to global communities, which can provide emotional support and nurture a sense of belonging and self-esteem, which is vital for healthy adolescent development. Studies have found that social-media use can benefit youth by enriching relationships, enhancing communication, strengthening social interactions, and propagating mental-health advocacy without judgment or stigma.

TikTok's new restrictions and ongoing conversations about social media use allow parents and guardians to communicate with their children.

This opens the door to discussing what's appropriate online, how much time is healthy to spend online, understanding what makes your child feel good, and other ways to interact socially outside the digital world. As social media has grown in the past 20 years, we must also grow in how we approach, speak, and interact with our kids.

We have a long way to go to fully understand social media's long-lasting effects on young people's developing minds. As a researcher, I am eager to analyze all of the data at our fingertips that allows us to get an unbiased glimpse into the mind of our youth.