TikTok for Teens: It's Fun, But It's Addictive, and It Could Be Harmful

TikTok celebrated its fifth anniversary in the autumn of 2021 by announcing a big milestone: the app had accumulated around 1 billion worldwide users, many of whom were young, who used it every month to watch, produce, and share bite-sized films.

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But how do those youthful users feel about the app? Is it a boost to their self-confidence and creativity, or an addictive time-killer that breeds unhealthy competitiveness and expectations?

According to a modest recent research, the answer is most likely both.

"TikTok is a popular teenage app that contains short movies on a variety of themes," study author Bradley Kerr noted. He works as a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health's department of paediatrics.

Though originally restricted to 15 seconds, uploads may now last up to 10 minutes and include dancing, comedic routines, and lip-syncing sessions.

With music and movement at the heart of the TikTok experience, it rapidly distinguished itself from other popular social media platforms such as Instagram, which has its origins in silent still photography, and Facebook, which initially focused on status updates and friendship ties.

"We haven't seen any study on how TikTok is connected to mental health outcomes for teenagers," Kerr remarked, despite its rapid surge in popularity.

To fill in the gaps, he and his colleagues decided to poll 31 teenagers for their thoughts.

They were all between the ages of 13 and 18 at the time (average age of 16). Nearly everyone (29) stated they had at least one social media account, evenly split between males and girls. According to the researchers, more than 60% of American teenagers use TikTok on a daily basis.

Investigators discovered a number of repeating themes after conducting a series of Zoom-based focus group sessions.

"TikTok is particularly strong at linking [teens] with stuff that is attractive to them, and that they can enjoy with their friends," Kerr said of the first.

One youngster said, "It's what you want to see every time you get on it," while another kid said, "It's how I find bands and other musicians and stuff like that."

"It's almost like this common experience that we all get to, like, do together," said another.

At the same time, several children were concerned about the app's addictive nature.

"When I do [use TikTok], I go on it for hours at a time without realising it," one of the teenagers revealed, "because I'll just keep scrolling and I'm like, 'OK, this is the last one'"... just to keep scrolling and scrolling and scrolling and scrolling and scrolling and scrolling and Another said they were "sucked in."

Furthermore, several users said that the app's video avalanche of flawless bodies and supposedly ideal lifestyles might erode self-esteem.

"Seeing someone's very wonderful home, or someone's really adorable puppy, or happy family, there's just so much content," one adolescent said.

"I believe it's awful for... feeling insecure about your physique and whatnot," another said.

The TikTok experience received mixed reviews in terms of unity vs competition.

"Adolescents who are struggling with their mental health or other issues — such as knowing their sexual orientation — may use the app to connect with others and find solidarity and support," Kerr added.

Others, however, observed that "at some point it simply starts turning into a competition," with people often attempting to outdo one other with postings claiming to be the happiest — or most horrifying — narrative ever recounted.

"While more study is required to fully understand these crucial research areas, we hope that parents and health care practitioners would inquire about the advantages and drawbacks of TikTok usage among teenagers," Kerr added.

The results were presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies conference in Denver on Saturday. Until it is published in a peer-reviewed publication, such research should be regarded preliminary.

"Since social media like TikTok are here to stay," Melissa Hunt, assistant director of clinical training in the psychology department at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, says, "we need to adopt a harm-reduction approach to them." Hunt was not a part of the new research.

"On one hand, social media functions similarly to nicotine or opiates. They were designed to be addictive, and the firms that make them have gone to great lengths to hide research that shows the negative consequences. On the other side, we know that moderate social media use may be enjoyable and can help people feel more connected "Hunt said.

"As a result, alcohol is a better metaphor for these items," she continued. "Teach them how to use technology responsibly and in moderation, and keep an eye on them."