Doomscrolling instead of going to bed? TikTok hits pause with new app feature
TikTok has announced a series of initiatives designed to enhance the digital well-being of its users and expand access to mental health resources.
One such initiative is a new in-app guided meditation feature, which encourages users to wind down before bed, with prompts beginning at 10pm.
The feature is automatically enabled for users under 18, and trials have shown that 98% of teens chose to keep it on.
To expand mental health resources on the platform, TikTok is also donating US$2.3 million (around S$2.96 million) in ad credits to 31 mental health organisations across 22 countries.
Established in 2023, TikTok's Mental Health Education Fund aims to support the creation of authoritative mental health content on the platform.
Among the beneficiaries is local non-profit counselling organisation Limitless.
Cheyenne Naidu, Counsellor and Community Team Lead at Limitless, lauded TikTok for being an invaluable platform for educating and raising awareness about youth mental health.
Ms Naidu said: "With TikTok's support in 2024, our Mental Health Awareness Month campaign saw a significant boost in reach and engagement among Singaporean youth - expanding access to vital information, helping to normalise help-seeking and allowing us to render support and preserve many young lives.
"In fact, even our initial efforts on TikTok tripled counselling service inquiries, showing the powerful role accessible content can play in breaking stigma and connecting us with those who need support most."
