In response to the multiple lawsuits going on about social media addiction, YouTube is finding news ways to help users manage their time on the platform. The company is adding a Shorts timer to help people take more control over how long they scroll through short-form videos.
This feature arrives as nearly 2,000 lawsuits have been filed against social media companies, according to Bloomberg Law, accusing them of intentionally designing platforms to keep users hooked.
TechCrunch reports that this feature was first spotted in an Android APK file and is now being released to all users.
How it works is pretty straightforward: users go into the app’s settings, tap on “General,” then “Shorts feed limit,” and pick a daily time limit from a list. When that limit is reached, a message pops up, encouraging them to step away from the app. The message can be dismissed with a single tap, allowing them to continue scrolling if they choose.
The timer sits alongside YouTube’s existing “take a break” and bedtime reminders, which have been available for some time. While those features remind users to stop watching long-form videos, the Shorts timer is designed specifically for the company’s TikTok-style feed, which is the part of the app that tends to keep people scrolling for hours without realising it.
Why Is YouTube Doing Taking Action?
With the many lawsuits, and with parents, schools and advocacy groups saying social media companies are using strategies to keep users hooked, YouTube decided to take action.
This is YouTube’s attempt to show it takes digital wellbeing seriously. The company has experimented with features that encourage healthier viewing habits for years, but this latest one directly targets the problem of endless scrolling.
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The company’s support forums put it that this is meant to work as a gentle reminder and not a strict restriction. YouTube knows most adults will still want the option to continue watching, but the feature could make people more aware of how much time they spend inside the app. A stricter version is planned for release next year, which will be built into parental controls and cannot be dismissed by children.
How Does It Compare To Other Platforms?
YouTube isn’t the first to do this…
TikTok and Instagram already have similar tools that let users set viewing limits for their short-form feeds. These features were introduced after years of public pressure about social media’s effect on young people’s attention and sleep.
The difference is that YouTube’s tool applies directly to its Shorts feed, which is one of the most used features on the platform. Shorts launched as a direct rival to TikTok, and it now attracts billions of views every day. It’s no surprise that the company wants to show some responsibility around that area of the app.
Even though this new limit can be dismissed, many users may find it helpful as a self-check. As TechCrunch reported, the feature might not completely change user habits overnight, but it could remind people how much time has passed (often hours) while they scroll through endless clips.
Some digital well-being advocates say even small nudges can help people notice how much time they lose to endless scrolling. For younger users, especially those whose parents will soon be able to set limits that cannot be dismissed, this could be a real change in how they interact with YouTube.
