Key Takeaways
- TikTok now offers a STEM feed to all users by default in the US, UK, and Ireland to promote educational content.
- TikTok has faced criticism for its addictive design and its impact on mental health, so the STEM feed aims to counteract this.
- CEO Shou Chew believes the STEM feed promotes a passion for math and science, signifying TikTok as a place for learning.
Have you been endlessly scrolling TikTok lately? Well, if you have, don’t worry you’re not alone. The app, which has millions of users around the world, is known to be a pretty good time sink. But now, TikTok is looking to reinvent the wheel a bit, by giving all users access to a feed that makes endless scrolling educational. Intrigued?
TikTok recently announced that it’s bringing its STEM feed to all users in the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland by default. Prior to this announcement, the STEM feed was only turned on by default for users under the age of 18. The feed was opened to all users in Canada earlier this month.
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What is the STEM feed?
Open your phone and learn something new
TikTok / Pocket-lint
TikTok’s STEM feed is meant to be a place to find educational videos related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Essentially, it’s a place you go to learn something while being on TikTok rather than just being entertained by cats or people doing dumb things.
After scrolling through the STEM feed for a few minutes, some of the videos in it are actually quite good. The first video I watched was someone explaining how a cruise ship floats, and the other video was about an extinct species I didn’t even know about. I can see how this section on TikTok could actually be a force for good on the platform.
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Why is TikTok opening up the STEM feed to all users?
It may have something to do with the criticism the app has faced
TikTok launched the STEM feed section back in early 2023, after facing criticism from lawmakers, rights groups, and some in the press that argue TikTok is harmful to young people, and is designed in a way to be addictive, so it can keep users engaged for as long as possible.
It’s not just concerns about addiction either, TikTok has also been criticized for its potential impact on its user’s mental health, as outlined in a report by the Guardian last year.
TikTok may be looking to the STEM feed to promote the positive impact the app can have. In U.S. congressional hearings last year, TikTok CEO Shou Chew said he believes the STEM feed is “inspiring a new generation to discover a passion for math and science.” He also expressed at the time that the feed already had over 116 billion views at the time.
By making the STEM feed available to all users by default, regardless of age, TikTok is signaling a shift in its marketing strategy: it wants to market itself as a place for learning, not just endlessly scrolling memes to your heart’s content.
The STEM feed is available now on TikTok. You can find it by scrolling to the left past the Explore feed. The app’s settings, under content preferences, allow you to turn the feed off.
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