To make TikTok more valuable for its users and to celebrate Pi Day (3.14), it has announced the release of a new feed dedicated to STEM – STEM topics.
This will appear along with the following and For You feeds available when you log into your TikTok account.
TikTok STEM Feed Vs. STEM hashtags
Users can find billions of STEM related videos on TikTok using #STEM and related hashtags. But like any hashtag, #STEM and related hashtag results include any video that has added a STEM hashtag to the description. TikTok creators can include a STEM-related hashtag in any video, regardless of whether the content is actually about STEM topics or is factually accurate.
On the other hand, the new STEM feed will be reviewed by TikTok partners Common Sense Networks and Poynter.
Common Sense Networks It will evaluate content to ensure that it is appropriate for teens and not harmful to their social, emotional or cognitive development. Pointer It will rate STEM content for factual accuracy, ensuring that what users learn will help them further their STEM studies.
The new STEM feed will only contain videos that pass both checks, making it safe for students to use the information for educational purposes.
The new STEM brief is set to be released in the US in March.
Why might TikTok launch a STEM feed?
The new STEM feed feature comes after speculation that TikTok is using its algorithm for payments Advertising and information incompatible with specific audiences, prompting lawmakers to draft a bill called the Restriction Act. This would allow them to review technology from specific countries to ensure it does not threaten national security.
Several reports also point to the differences between the content shown to TikTok audiences in the US and the US doyen Fans (Chinese version of TikTok).
Videos hyped for teen audiences focus more on Douyin educational and national content, including science experiments and virtual museum visits. Douyin excludes videos that contain pranks, superstitions, and entertainment venues for its teenage audience.
What could be the potential impact of this type of targeting in the long term?
Puzzle Games to survey 3,000 teenagers in the United States, the United Kingdom and China ask what profession they would like to pursue when they grow up. A third of the respondents were aspiring to be vloggers/youtubers.
Half of the respondents in China aspire to be astronauts.
STEM-focused content for a younger audience in the US could help reverse the trend, encouraging more teens to focus on their studies rather than aspire to be a social media influencer. This is important, given just that 20% Content creators earn a living wage.
Douyin also imposes a maximum of 40 minutes per day for younger audiences to prevent users from becoming addicted to social media. Time limiting features exist for TikTok users, but they are optional.
As with any social network, parents in the US should take the time to communicate with their teens about the content they are watching. TikTok advances A guide for guardians To learn more about the ways they can manage teens’ activity on TikTok to ensure it doesn’t have a negative impact on their lives.
Featured image: diy13/Shutterstock
