TikTok seeks to take another step in its user retention and time spent in the application strategy with the launch of new tools focused on digital well-being. Under the premise of becoming a comprehensive space to accompany the daily life of its users, the social network has announced a series of features that combine positive affirmations, relaxing sounds and guided breathing exercises.
This space replaces the previous screen time management section
The deployment is articulated from a new environment called “Time and Well-being”, accessible from the account configuration section. This space replaces the previous screen time management section and consolidates previous initiatives such as disconnection mode for teenagers, activated by default at 10:00 p.m. and now also available for all users.
Among the new features is an affirmations journal made up of 120 downloadable or shareable cards, with messages such as “I am free from other people’s expectations and embrace my true self.”. A relaxing sound generator (rain, waves, white noise…) and conscious breathing exercises have also been included. The proposal is supported by internal data indicating that TikTok users are 14% more likely than non-users to be interested in meditation and mindfulness.
On the other hand, the new “Well-being Missions” introduce a playful layer to encourage healthy digital habits, especially among adolescents. The tasks, designed with the support of entities such as the Digital Wellness Lab, include challenges such as staying out of the app during the night, checking the weekly usage report or meditating during the “Sleep Hours” period. Overcoming these challenges awards badges and allows you to grow a virtual “wellness tree.” According to TikTok, the affirmations journal is the most popular tool in the new space, and the return rate to this section already exceeds that of its predecessor.
Introduces a playful layer with weekly challenges that grow a virtual “wellness tree”
The program will feature educational videos from creators such as @louislevanti, @thepsychdoctormd or @juicybodygoddess. The company has also sought the support of experts such as child psychiatrist Willough Jenkins or mental health researcher Judith Joseph, who will disseminate the news from the main feed.
These measures come against a backdrop of growing scrutiny over the platform’s impact on the mental health of its youngest users. In October last year, internal documents were made public that pointed to poor management of welfare policies, prioritizing the company’s public image. And more than a dozen US states have filed lawsuits over the alleged addictive nature of its algorithm.
TikTok defends that this evolution responds directly to the feedback of its Youth Council and underlines its commitment to digital security. “Incorporating well-being as a priority in the current digital landscape is essential. This project, born from the Youth Council, demonstrates the impact that youth can have when given a real platform”said Tomáš Čermák, a 19-year-old member of the TikTok Youth Council.
“With experiences inspired by community and backed by research, the new Wellbeing and Time space offers an innovative way to disconnect and recharge within TikTok”said Valiant Richey, global head of Trust & Safety Outreach for the company.
However, beyond therapeutic intentions, the proposal reinforces TikTok’s ambition to retain its users at any time of the day, consolidating its role as a total ecosystem where they can be informed, entertained, inspired and, now, also calm down.
