TikTok will have a slice of its FYP devoted to STEM content.
Today (March 14) TikTok announced a feed devoted to science, technology, engineering, and math in celebration of Pi Day. The STEM Feed is part of TikTok’s new Topic Feed initiative. As every social media platform has unleashed their own FYPs, TikTok strives to have the monopoly with Topic Feeds. Topic Feeds sit along side your FYP and Following feed, and so far there are Sports, Food, Gaming, and Fashion feed. The STEM Feed will launch in the U.S. later this month.
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According to TikTok, STEM-related hashtags have over 110 billion views and the new feed serves to provide a vetted space for that content. Misinformation is a huge problem on the app — young people are increasingly using it as a search engine and a 2022 study from Newsguard found that TikTok’s search suggests misinformation over 20 percent of the time — making dedicated spaces of screened information valuable. All the videos on the STEM Feed will have to be approved by Common Sense Networks and The Poynter Institute for Media Studies. Common Sense will assess content to see if its appropriate and Poynter checks its reliability.
Credit: TikTok
The STEM Feed is also an opportunity to spotlight STEM creators. “TikTok has always provided me an avenue to share my love of science with a broader community and has helped me to connect with other science creators. I’m excited to hear that TikTok is creating a space and community around STEM and STEM related content, and I’m looking forward to learning from others and building new relationships with others involved with STEM and STEM education!” a popular STEM TikTok creator, @ChemTeacherPhil, said in a press release.
The STEM Feed is the latest instance of TikTok having a finger in every pie.