Can Tiktok Turn Doomscrolling Teens Into Meditators?

Gen Z’s favorite app will nudge users toward better sleep with meditation prompts 

TikTok is launching in-app guided meditation exercises and expanding its Mental Health Education Fund after a test of its “Meditation in Sleep Hours” feature found that 98% of teen users kept it enabled.

The social media platform – used predominantly by Gen Z – is also partnering with TikTok creator and child psychiatrist Dr. Willough Jenkins to demonstrate the new feature.

“Research shows us that mindful meditation can improve sleep quality in people of all ages, so we’ll also introduce Meditation in Sleep Hours to all our users, regardless of their age,” the social media platform said in a press release. “For teens under age 18, it will be turned on by default. If a teen decides to use TikTok after 10 p.m., their For You feed will be interrupted by a guided meditation exercise, helping them wind down for the night. If a teen decides to spend additional time on TikTok after the first reminder, we show a second, harder-to-dismiss, full-screen prompt. Adults can turn on Sleep Hours at any time from the Screen Time Insettings page.”

If there’s irony in an app prompting users to disconnect for their mental health, it’s not exactly rare. In April, the Touch Grass app launched with a strict approach to screen time: users select their most distracting apps, which remain blocked until they physically touch grass and verify it with a photo taken on their phone.

TikTok has also announced $2.3 million in ad credits to 31 mental health organizations across 22 countries as part of its Mental Health Education Fund, which supports organizations in creating engaging mental health content. Recipients include the Alliance for Eating Disorders, Crisis Text Line, Peer Health Exchange and Active Minds. 

“At Active Minds, we plan to leverage the TikTok ad credits to run a diverse mix of evergreen ads focused on mental health, including promoting the importance of mental health breaks and raising awareness for our core resources,” Active Minds chief marketing officer Jessica Mayorga said. “We’re also excited to spotlight our programs and initiatives that empower young people to prioritize their well-being. This approach will allow us to engage and educate audiences on TikTok while aligning with our mission to champion a new era of mental health.”

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