TikTok has announced a spate of new mental well-being features and resources to mark World Suicide Prevention Month in September. Photo: TikTok
TikTok has announced a spate of new mental well-being features and resources to mark World Suicide Prevention Month in September. Photo: TikTok
TikTok has announced a spate of new mental well-being features and resources to mark World Suicide Prevention Month in September. Photo: TikTok
TikTok has announced a spate of new mental well-being features and resources to mark World Suicide Prevention Month in September. Photo: TikTok

How TikTok is tackling mental health on its platform


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Social media giant TikTok has announced a spate of new mental well-being features and resources to mark World Suicide Prevention Month in September. In addition to fine-tuning its already existing search interventions related to self-harm and suicide, the company has launched a new guide in partnership with mental health experts and a dedicated guide on eating disorders.

"We care deeply about our community, and we always look for new ways in which we can nurture their well-being. That's why we're taking additional steps to make it easier for people to find resources when they need them on TikTok," the company said in a blog post on Tuesday.

TikTok said it already has strict community guidelines in place that ban the promotion, glorification or normalisation of suicide, self-harm or eating disorders, but that it's now also taking additional steps "to make it easier for people to feel safe and find support".

New well-being guides have been developed in partnership with International Association for Suicide Prevention, Crisis Text Line, Live For Tomorrow, Samaritans of Singapore and Samaritans (UK). The guides, which are available on the company's Safety Centre, also offer tips to help users engage with someone who may be struggling or in distress.

TikTok has developed well-being guides with the help of experts. Photo: TikTok
TikTok has developed well-being guides with the help of experts. Photo: TikTok

Search interventions have also been updated.

"When someone searches for words or phrases such as #suicide, we'll direct them to local support resources such as the Crises Text Line helpline, where they can find support and information about treatment options," TikTok said.

Content from other creators sharing their personal experiences with mental well-being, information on where to seek support and advice on how to talk to loved ones about these issues will also appear.

Stronger content warnings have also been enforced, starting from September. When a user searches for terms that could bring up content that some may find distressing, for example "scary make-up", the search results page will be covered with an opt-in viewing screen. Users will be able to click "show results" to continue to see the content.

Stronger warning labels on some content have also been put in place. Photo: TikTok
Stronger warning labels on some content have also been put in place. Photo: TikTok

A dedicated guide to eating disorders has also been added to the Safety Centre, with the help of the National Eating Disorders Association, National Eating Disorder Information Centre, Butterfly Foundation and Bodywhys. The resources provide support and advice on eating disorders to teenagers, caregivers and educators. There will also be regular public service announcements on certain hashtags such as #whatIeatinaday, to increase awareness and provide support to the community, the company said.

TikTok's latest move comes a day after an article in The Wall Street Journal titled Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Teen Girls claimed internal studies by Facebook over the past three years showed how Instagram affects its young user base.

“Thirty-two per cent of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse,” researchers reportedly wrote.

WSJ cited documents viewed by them and said more than 40 per cent of Instagram’s users are aged 22 and younger.

Karina Newton, head of public policy at Instagram, said in a blog post that the story focused on "a limited set of findings and casts them in a negative light".

"From our research, we’re starting to understand the types of content some people feel may contribute to negative social comparison, and we’re exploring ways to prompt them to look at different topics if they’re repeatedly looking at this type of content," she wrote. "We’re cautiously optimistic that these nudges will help point people towards content that inspires and uplifts them, and to a larger extent, will shift the part of Instagram’s culture that focuses on how people look."

Earlier this year, TikTok announced it had removed nearly 7.3 million accounts suspected to belong to under-age children.

Children aged 13 and over are allowed to use the platform, but accounts belonging to users between the ages of 13 and 15 are set to private by default.

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War 2

Director: Ayan Mukerji

Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana

Rating: 2/5

The biog

Name: Mariam Ketait

Emirate: Dubai

Hobbies: I enjoy travelling, experiencing new things, painting, reading, flying, and the French language

Favourite quote: "Be the change you wish to see" - unknown

Favourite activity: Connecting with different cultures

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Know before you go
  • Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
  • If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
  • By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
  • Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
  • Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.

 

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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MATCH INFO

Barcelona 5 (Lenglet 2', Vidal 29', Messi 34', 75', Suarez 77')

Valladolid 1 (Kiko 15')

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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How to get there

Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
 

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Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

What went into the film

25 visual effects (VFX) studios

2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots

1,000 VFX artists

3,000 technicians

10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers

New sound technology, named 4D SRL

 

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Airev
Started: September 2023
Founder: Muhammad Khalid
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Generative AI
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
 
The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Updated: September 15, 2021, 9:44 AM`