May is Mental Health Awareness Month and to mark the event, TikTok has announced several initiatives, including live streams and in-app activations, to help users find relevant support and assistance, hoping to further destigmatize mental health conversations.
Awareness Is Key
TikTok said that it’ll be sharing a range of content under the main Hashtags #MentalHealthAwareness, #SelfCare, and #LetsTalkMentalHealth. Users could then follow these Hashtags to find helpful content related to various mental health-related discussions and concerns.
TikTok will also run LIVE programming throughout the month, including:
- A LIVE discussion with psychotherapist Dr. Courtney Tracy about parental boundary setting. Hosted by Cosmopolitan on May 10 at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT.
- A ‘Get Ready with Me’ mental health check-in with Leyna Bloom and Olivia Ponton, hosted by Sports Illustrated on May 19th at 7 PM ET/4 PM PT.
- A broadcast of the 4th Annual Sound Mind Live Music Festival for Mental Health on May 21st at 4 PM ET / 1 PM PT. Featuring performances by KAMAUU, Wrabel, Allison Russell, The Cold War Kids, Big Boi, and American Authors. (Proceeds will go to supporting free mental health programs offered by the National Alliance on Mental Illness.)
- A LIVE musical performance by YUNGBLUD, followed by a mental health discussion with the artist on May 23rd at 5 PM ET/2 PM PT.
TikTok also looks to highlight several nonprofits that are working to build a more inclusive future through the app, including The Born This Way Foundation, Crisis Text Line, The National Alliance on Mental Illness, and The National Eating Disorders Association.
Lastly, TikTok will also release several helpful guides to help users deal with specific mental health concerns, including its ‘Well-Being’ guide that provides tips for those who want to ‘mindfully share their journeys’. There’s also its ‘Eating Disorder’ guide, which was made to help those struggling with eating or body image concerns.
The Wrap
This is a key area of focus for social media platforms because we all know how various studies have shown that social media usage can have significant impacts on mental health, especially on younger users. As such, all platforms must do what they can to help mitigate harm where possible.
TikTok has come under fire before over its potentially harmful moderation practices, while various other concerns have been raised with regards to how it encourages harmful and explorative behavior among young users. As such, initiatives like these are always important and even better to see when a platform exerts efforts to implement them.
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