Is TikTok’s new meditation push a real safety play or just good PR optics?

TikTok will now interrupt teens’ feeds with guided meditation after 10PM by default, expanding on its existing “wind down” feature. The platform has been testing this feature, initially only available to users under 16, but it will now be shown to all users under 18.

The “wind down” prompt was first introduced to remind teens to take a break from the app at night by playing calming music. The feature has now been enhanced to include guided meditation. Additionally, adults will also have access to this feature if they enable “Sleep Hours” from the Screen Time settings page.

During the testing phase, TikTok found that 98 percent of users under 16 kept the meditation feature enabled after trying it for the first time. While teens can initially dismiss the 10PM reminder, the app will display a second full-screen prompt later, which is harder to dismiss.

This move is part of TikTok’s efforts to address safety concerns, despite facing a potential ban in the US. The platform has until June 19th to divest its US operations or face the ban. In March, TikTok launched a Time Away tool, allowing parents or caregivers to restrict their child’s access to the app at specific times.

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