Facing a barrage of lawsuits and mounting criticism over its potential negative impact on children’s mental health, TikTok is taking a surprising new approach: integrating guided meditation into its app. This move comes as the platform battles accusations of addictive design and harmful effects on young users, including increased anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances.
The newly announced feature, which will be enabled by default for users under 18, offers in-app guided meditation exercises designed to improve sleep quality. These meditations will interrupt users’ feeds if they are still on the app after 10 p.m., providing a gentle nudge towards a healthier digital routine. This is not the only new initiative TikTok is implementing; the company also plans to introduce additional educational feeds, enhanced parental controls, and improved online safety tools.
This proactive shift towards promoting well-being follows significant legal challenges. Multiple state attorneys general have filed lawsuits against TikTok, alleging that the app’s design is intentionally addictive and causes psychological harm to children. These lawsuits highlight serious concerns about the platform’s potential contribution to mental health issues amongst young people, including anxiety, depression, sleep deprivation, and body image issues. TikTok has previously defended itself, arguing that these lawsuits overlook the various safety measures already in place.
The introduction of meditation alongside these other safety improvements represents a significant attempt by TikTok to address these concerns and potentially mitigate the risks associated with prolonged app usage. However, the effectiveness of this strategy remains to be seen. The long-term implications of these changes and whether they will be sufficient to appease critics and avoid further legal action are still uncertain.
Beyond the legal battles, the debate surrounding TikTok’s impact on young users continues. Social psychologists have voiced concerns about the potential for mental health problems arising from excessive social media use, particularly on platforms like TikTok. The platform’s recent temporary outage in the U.S. following a Supreme Court ruling further highlighted the complex regulatory landscape TikTok navigates.
While the U.S. government’s focus has been on national security and data privacy concerns related to TikTok’s Chinese ownership, other countries are increasingly addressing the platform’s potential negative effects on young people. Australia, for instance, recently passed a law banning users under 16 from accessing social media platforms, illustrating a global trend towards stricter regulation. The U.S. Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission have also filed a lawsuit against TikTok, alleging violations related to the collection of children’s personal data.
TikTok’s simultaneous announcement of a $2.3 million donation to mental health organizations adds another layer to its response. This contribution to the “Mental Health Education Fund” aims to support various mental health initiatives across the globe. Whether this, combined with the in-app meditation feature and other safety measures, will be enough to address the widespread concerns remains a key question for the future of the platform.
