TikTok to offer teenagers guided meditation sessions after 10pm

TikTok is set to introduce guided meditation sessions for teenage users who are active on the platform after 10pm.

This initiative is part of the company’s effort to address and mitigate mental health concerns associated with social media use – a move that comes as ‘Big Tech’ faces increasing pressure to prioritize the well-being of young people.

According to TikTok, if a teenager is using the app after 10pm, their feed will be interrupted by a meditation exercise designed to promote better sleep. Initially, users will receive a prompt, and if ignored, TikTok will display a second, more persistent full-screen prompt. While the feature will be available to all TikTok users, it will be automatically enabled for those under 18.

TikTok reports that, during testing, 98% of teenagers kept the meditation feature active. In addition to this, the company has announced plans to provide advertising space to mental health charities on the platform.

These changes come amidst growing calls for social media companies such as TikTok to enhance protections for their younger users. In the UK, new regulations are set to take effect in July, which could result in fines or bans for companies that fail to prevent harmful content from appearing on young people’s feeds.

Enforced by Ofcom, these rules will also require platforms to simplify the process for young users to report inappropriate content and mandate stricter age verification for sites featuring pornography or self-harm content.

Other regions are also taking action. In Australia, a ban on social media use for those under 16 is scheduled to begin in December. “We want our kids to have a childhood and parents to know we have their backs,” stated Prime Minister Anthony Albanese following the approval of this ban.

Other social media companies have also recently implemented new safety measures. Meta has introduced restricted teen accounts, and Snapchat has made it more difficult for adults to contact young people on its platform.