You may have wondered about a relatively new feature on the top navigation row of your TikTok home screen: STEM.
Then again, you may not have wondered. The STEM feed was added in 2024, but not all TikTok users can view it. It began as a feed for Americans and Europeans aged 18 and younger, and is now available to everyone living in those regions. TikTok plans to expand STEM’s reach further in the coming years.
Being “available to everyone” isn’t the same as “visible to everyone,” either. The STEM feed is on by default, but it’s an optional setting; you can easily remove or add it based on whether you find the content interesting.
That leaves one key question, though. What the heck is STEM?
Learning for the 21st Century
Most parents who’ve had kids in school during the 2000s are well aware of STEM.
The acronym stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. STEM is the interdisciplinary approach that combines all four subjects to emphasize problem-based, hands-on learning. Most states and school districts have implemented at least some form of STEM education.
The reason for combining traditionally separate subjects into a STEM curriculum is simple: they all focus on critical thinking, problem solving, and innovation. Those skills, and the technical elements they share, are expected to be the primary drivers of innovation, economic growth, and global advancement in the coming decades.
STEM education is designed to provide students with the skills many of them will need to join the skilled workforce of the future.
But what does all of that have to do with TikTok?
The STEM Feed
TikTok added its STEM feed as a way to deliver educational, interesting, science-based content to the social media platform. The topic may sound boring to some, but 33% of teen users in the US and UK — who have grown up with the STEM curriculum — visit the STEM feed weekly and more than 10 million STEM-related TikTok videos have been created.
Authoritative, third-party partners work with the app, reviewing and fact-checking all science, math, engineering, and tech TikTok content for accuracy and suitability for teen audiences. Only then is it allowed to appear on the STEM feed.
In regions where the feed is available, it can be found on the top navigation menu of the home screen, alongside the For You and following feeds, TikTok Live, and the TikTok Shop.
To choose whether you want the STEM feed to appear on your app, go to Profile > Menu > Settings and privacy > Content preferences, where you can toggle the “STEM feed” setting on or off.
About the Author
Peter Hasselworth is a contributor at iDigic, sharing valuable insights about Instagram growth and social media marketing strategies.