TikTok Plans To Stay Ahead Of Instagram With New Mental Health Features
TikTok is taking action to help the mental health of its app users, revealing a new selection of features on Tuesday.
Users will now be able to access well-being resources, expanded search interventions on mental health keywords, access to a support guide for eating disorders and an upgraded “sensitive content” warning, according to a press release by the company.
The company explained that they understand that many users go to the platform to share personal experiences, and they wanted to make it easier for their users to access stories from creators that could be helpful if they were dealing with something.
“We care deeply about our community, and we always look for new ways in which we can nurture their well-being. That's why we're taking additional steps to make it easier for people to find resources when they need them on TikTok,” Tara Wadhwa, Director of Policy TikTok in the U.S. said.
TikTok has become a place where people share their stories about how they deal with mental health problems and where experts like doctors and therapists share advice as well.
“While we don’t allow content that promotes, glorifies, or normalizes suicide, self-harm, or eating disorders, we do support people who choose to share their experiences to raise awareness, help others who might be struggling and find support among our community,” Wadhwa said.
The move comes as Tiktok's popularity continues to grow, as it was named the second most favorite social media app by teenagers in the U.S., according to a 2020 report by Piper Sandler.
This also comes as one of the app's competitors has faced backlash.
Instagram was recently slammed when a report was released by the Wall Street Journal that revealed Facebook, which owns the app, is fully aware of the distress the photo-sharing platform can cause teenage girls.
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