Doomscrolling, the nickname given to constantly reading (usually stressful) content on our always-available phones, can ruin our sleep and apparently cause bathroom-related issues. But it can be tough to put those phones down. TikTok announced on Wednesday that it’s revamping its screen time management page with some new features to limit the amount of time teens spend scrolling — whether it’s worrisome content or not.

The platform is targeting teens by adding a Time and Well-Being section. This new feature includes a positive affirmation journal with over 120 prompts you can download, and a sound generator that plays calming sounds and offers breathing exercises. 

You’ll be able to complete well-being missions to earn badges that support mindful habits, such as staying off of TikTok at night and limiting screen time on a daily or weekly basis.

When developing the feature, TikTok consulted with experts and its TikTok Youth Council for guidance.

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«This idea, born thanks to the TikTok Youth Council, recognizes the impact young people can have when given the right platform,» said Tomáš Čermák, a member of the advisory group, in a statement. «I look forward to seeing the change the Time and Well-being space will bring, and I hope it helps teens and adults alike to balance their online lives.» 

Earlier this year, the social media app introduced parental controls and other features to help parents monitor what their children are viewing and sharing. 

Recently, TikTok also announced that it would allow users to limit the AI-generated content they see on the app. 

TikTok viewers who are overwhelmed by AI-generated content in their feed may soon have a tool to adjust the level of AI content. The social media company said in a blog post that, in the coming weeks, it will be testing a new slider tool under its Manage Topics settings, which will allow users to determine how much AI-generated content appears in their feed.

This includes the option to view more AI-generated content, if you choose to do so, TikTok says.

«Our goal is to allow people to customize their feed and see more of the content that appeals to them, and we know there are plenty of positive and useful cases of (AI-generated content) that people enjoy,» a TikTok spokesperson told CNET.

TikTok argues that there’s a difference between what’s called AI slop, content using AI which is often deceptive and carelessly made, and other content that still utilizes AI, such as AI-generated history content. The site’s community guidelines ban «low-quality content» and spam, which, if enforced perfectly, would mean little AI slop would get through.

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In the same blog post, TikTok said it’s working on «invisible watermarks» that would label AI-generated videos as AI and that can’t be removed when those videos are reposted.

The company said this will help it and other content providers identify AI-generated videos, even if those watermarks are not visible to viewers. 

«‘Invisible watermarks’ add another layer of safeguards with a robust technological ‘watermark’ that only we can read, making it harder for others to remove,» TikTok said in its post.

Lastly, TikTok said it’s donating $2 million to a fund for organizations, including Girls Who Code, to make AI literacy videos as well.

Toning it down

TikTok isn’t the only platform offering ways to curtail the flood of AI-generated content, particularly AI slop, that many people are seeing in their social feeds. 

Meta has ways to mute its AI tools and suggestions on its platforms, such as Instagram and WhatsApp. Pinterest has also added a feature similar to what TikTok is testing to reduce the amount of AI content you see.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle has a fun theme. (Think Gladys Kravitz from the classic Bewitched sitcom.) Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story. 

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Busybody buzz.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Did you hear?

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

• DATE, SCUTTLE, BUTT, CUTS, PORT, PORTS, WORD, HEAR

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

• GOSSIP, SCUTTLEBUTT, RUMOR, REPORT, HEARSAY

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is SPREADTHEWORD. To find it, start with the S that’s two letters up from the bottom on the far-right row, and wind up, over and back.