TikTok is giving adults a chance to learn new things in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. The app’s STEM feed, which first arrived last year for users under 18, is now expanding to all TikTok viewers.
The STEM feed is filled with educational videos from some of TikTok’s top STEM creators, such as ChemTeacherPhil and KatVoltage. It initially rolled out as a means of providing better-for-you content to TikTok’s teen users (many of whom struggle with mental health issues that are exacerbated by the app). To ensure the STEM feed videos are accurate and age-appropriate, TikTok brought in a pair of esteemed partners: Common Sense Networks and Poynter.
Within months of the STEM feed’s arrival, TikTok heralded it as a success. The category-specific layout increased traffic on relevant hashtags by 30%. About 19 months after the launch of the STEM feed, it has brought in 200 million views on related content. TikTok claims that one-third of its teenage users in the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland visit the STEM feed on a weekly basis.
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The growth of the STEM feed is leading to its expansion. Adult users in the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland will now have the special feed turned on by default. TikTok is working on translation tools that will allow it to bring its library of STEM content to non-English-speaking regions as well.
By expanding the STEM feed, TikTok is responding to an increasing interest in STEM content across the social media landscape. YouTube has celebrated the growth and diversity of its science community, and TikTok-style Shorts have been a key format for many of those creators.
But the promotion of the STEM feed is not just about creator trends. TikTok is also looking to generate some positive press as it fights court battles that will determine its operating status in the United States. TechCrunch noted that TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew referenced the STEM feed during his contentious appearances before the U.S. Congress.
The legal arguments against TikTok have resulted in the unsealing of documents that don’t paint the app in a favorable light. The STEM feed could change the narrative among the general public, whose support will play a critical role in the months to come.
