TikTok Launches Mental Health Awareness Month's Live Events and Spotlights

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and to commemorate the occasion, TikTok has launched a series of live stream events and in-app activations to help users locate appropriate support and de-stigmatize mental health discussions. TikTok said it will post a variety of content under the hashtags #MentalHealthAwareness, #SelfCare, and #LetsTalkMentalHealth, which users may use to access content relating to various mental health-related problems and debates.

Throughout the month, TikTok will be hosting live content, including:

• On May 10th at 7 pm ET / 4 pm PT, Cosmopolitan will hold a LIVE discussion with psychologist Dr. Courtney Tracy on how to set boundaries with your parents.

• Sports Illustrated will conduct a 'Get Ready with Me' mental health check-in with Leyna Bloom and Olivia Ponton on May 19th at 7 pm ET / 4 pm PT.

• The 4th Annual Sound Mind Live Music Festival for Mental Health will be broadcast on May 21st at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT. KAMAUU, Wrabel, Allison Russell, The Cold War Kids, Big Boi, and American Authors will perform at the concert, with revenues benefiting the National Alliance on Mental Illness' free mental health programs.

• On May 23rd at 5 pm ET / 2 pm PT, YUNGBLUD will give a LIVE musical performance followed by a mental health discussion with the artist.

The Born This Way Foundation, Crisis Text Line, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and the National Eating Disorders Association are among the NGOs TikTok will try to spotlight throughout the app as they seek to build a more inclusive future.

TikTok has also several helpful guides to assist users with specific mental health concerns, such as its Well-Being Guide, which offers advice for those who want to mindfully share their journeys,' and its Eating Disorder Guide, which is designed to assist people who are struggling with eating or body image issues.

This is a critical area of concern for social media companies since several studies have shown that social media use can have major mental health consequences, particularly for younger users, as was highlighted last year as part of the Facebook Files hack.

In the past, TikTok has been chastised for its potentially damaging moderation procedures, and different concerns have been expressed about how it encourages dangerous and exploitative behavior among young users. As a result, initiatives like this are critical, and it's encouraging to see TikTok promoting its numerous support services and tools.