Snapchat has announced the launch of new mini apps to help support the mental health and emotional wellbeing of the platform's users.
Headspace Mini is one of four mini apps made by third-party developers that will run inside of Snapchat and will give users access to meditation exercises and resources for mental health-related issues.
Researchers at Snapchat have been aware of user conversations around stress and anxiety, particularly since the outbreak of COVID-19, which prompted the introduction earlier this year of the 'Here For You' tool, providing users with links to mental health support and reliable COVID-19 information from organizations including the World Health Organization.
Snapchat hopes that the Snap Mini x Headspace feature will provide a safe space for friends to practice meditation and mindfulness exercises, and use these new tools to send encouraging messages to positively boost friends in need.
Spokesperson, Snapchat
The new Headspace mini app has been designed to enable users to participate in meditation together, which could ease the fear of trying something new and prompt more people to try the experience. Users can also chat with each other during the process, enabling people to share the meditation experience with a friend as opposed to just prompting discussion.
Once users click the app, they will be given six mediation exercises to choose from, including "Just Breathe," "Get out of a funk," "Kick the panic," "Be nice to you," "Pressure to succeed," and "Me time."
It is encouraging to see new and innovative mental health resources being made available to users of all ages. With so many people facing a myriad of issues during these uncertain times, it is crucial for social media platforms with large user bases to provide some form of relief and support online.
Dan Raisbeck, Co-founder, The Cybersmile Foundation
Headspace Mini can be accessed by clicking on the Rocket icon at the bottom of the screen, searching for 'Headspace' in the search bar, or through Snapchat's 'Here For You' mental health portal.