TikTok unveils mental health features as Instagram comes under fire from critics

TikTok announced a host of features on Tuesday to help users struggling with mental health issues and suicidal thoughts.

These include wellness guides, a support guide for people with eating disorders, and a search intervention feature that will direct users to supportive resources when they need it. ‘they will search for phrases like #suicide.

TikTok’s announcement of the new features follows a Wall Street Journal report that Facebook has repeatedly discovered that its Instagram app can harm teen mental health in certain situations.

The two apps compete closely for the attention of teenagers. Since its launch in 2017, Chinese company TikTok has gained traction on Instagram. Last year, it overtook Instagram as the second favorite social media app for American teens after Snapchat, according to an October 2020 report by Piper Sandler.

TikTok’s new features will direct users to support, such as a crisis line of text if they search for the term “suicide.”

While TikTok’s new features may be scheduled for National Suicide Prevention Week, which took place last week, the timing is fortuitous. In the wake of the Journal’s report, U.S. lawmakers sharply criticized Facebook for the impact of social media on adolescent mental health and the company’s failure to address the issues.