TikTok’s looking to expand its role in science education, by opening up its STEM feed to all users in the users in the U.S., U.K. and Ireland.
TikTok originally launched its STEM feed to U.S. users aged 18 and under in March last year, before expanding it to European audiences in April 2024.
And now, it’s opening up its science-focused stream to all users in these regions.
As per TikTok:
“Whether it inspires people to pursue unexpected STEM careers, brings together aspiring engineers to work out formulas in comments sections, or helps a new programmer learn to code, the STEM feed provides a space for co-learning, inspiration, and enrichment.”
So rather than just teens, TikTok now wants to get more people involved in its science content, which could generate more interest and attention for its educational-focused content.
TikTok says that since the launch of the STEM feed, there have been nearly 200 million video views of STEM-approved content, while almost a third of teens in the U.S. and U.K. now visit the STEM feed on a weekly basis.
Which seems like a lot, but the bottom line is that it’s been a successful push, helping to generate more interest in science-related posts and creators in the app.
And TikTok’s looking to expand it even further, through local language support for STEM feed content. That’ll enable even more users to interact with science content, which could be a big positive for TikTok in dispelling concerns about its lack of value for users.
Because TikTok has repeatedly been the focus of regulators and critics, who claim that it’s a time sink, drawing young users in with its addictive algorithms. Generating more interest in educational content won’t alleviate all of these concerns, but it could be another element for TikTok to lean on amid such scrutiny.
Overall, it’s a good initiative, which will help to spread both knowledge and critical thinking to audiences in the app.
TikTok says that all users in the noted regions will be able to access the STEM feed from today.
