TikTok to offer mental health resources following damning Instagram report
TikTok has announced it will roll out wellbeing resources after a damning report revealed the impact of social media on teenagers mental health.
The company, which has previously been criticised for hosting creators who offer dubious advice on mental health, will direct users to suicide prevention resources and guides on eating disorders. The social media giant is working on the resources with charities including The Samaritans and Crisis Text Line.
In a statement TikTok wrote, “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.”
The news comes after the Wall Street Journal reported that Facebook is aware of the detrimental impact that Instagram has on young women, but does little to mitigate the effects.
A leaked Facebook presentation showed that among teens who reported suicidal thoughts, 13 per cent of British users and six per cent of American users traced the issue to Instagram.
A third of teenage girls in the US and 14 per cent of boys reportedly feel bad about their bodies after using the addictive photo and video sharing app is notorious for featuring heavily edited images.
TikTok, which surged in popularity during the lockdowns of 2020, competes fiercely with Instagram and has also come under fire for warping young people’s body image.
Today, TikTok has come under further fire with the Irish data commissioner announcing an investigation into the company’s handling of children’s data and sale of user information to China.
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