Snapchat is officially here for you and your mental health as it has announced that it will bring forward the launch of its new “Here For You” mental health resource center.
This center will be available to all its users sometime this week as a response against the rising pandemic of COVID-19, according to Social Media Today.
At first “Here For You” was announced last month, and is meant to provide in-app support to Snapchat users who could be experiencing a mental or emotional health crisis. This feature provides links to relevant sources and exercises that will provide help to users in order to cope with such concerns, according to Social Media Today.
“In light of the anxiety and stress people are experiencing with the onset of coronavirus, we’re speeding up the launch of ‘Here For You’ and making the feature available to all Snapchatters globally,” Snapchat provided Social Media Today. “As part of the rollout, we’re also building a customized search section within Here For You related specifically to coronavirus, which will showcase relevant updates from the World Health Organization, the CDC, Crisis Text Line, NHS and other partners who are creating content on anxiety specifically related to coronavirus. We expect this section to start rolling out to Snapchatters next week.”
In the original announcement of “Here For You”, Snapchat did announce the fact that this tool would be “rolling out in the coming months”. However, due to the rising concerns amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, Snapchat had decided to move forward and release the tool sooner in order to boost assistance during this pandemic for people’s mental and emotional health, according to Social Media Today.
 “Here For You” will assist users during COVID-19 by partnering up with the World Health Organization and the US centers for Disease Control in order to give access to factual information from experts. Additionally, Snapchat will be partnering up with different organizations such as Active Minds, Because of You, Crisis Text Line, etc. to provide access further support to users in need of mental health counselling.Â
“We have always been inspired by the power that real friendships have in determining health and happiness. Here For You was informed by studies that show that connecting with friends – whether in person or online – is often the best defense against feelings of loneliness and anxiety,” Snapchat says to Social Media Today. “We also know that Snapchatters are deeply interested in understanding these issues, and how they can support friends who are struggling with them.”
Snapchat makes note that this tool, “Here For You”, is being released at the time being in order to provide assistance for those who begin feeling isolated and alone due to the COVID-19Â lockdowns and quarantines. So Snapchat’s “Here For You” will be released sometime this week and Snapchat will officially be here for you.
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