THE IMPACT OF THE TIKTOK APP ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG USERS
Abstract
Introduction: In the 21st century, media significantly influences mental health. The TikTok app allows easy creation of videos and its algorithm adapts content to users interests.
Aim: The following paper aims to analyse the impact of TikTok on the mental health of young users in the context of mood, eating and addiction disorders.
Materials and Methods: Due to the dominance of users aged 16-24 on the TikTok platform, the research focused on the impact of the app on adolescent and young adult mental health. A review of papers available in bibliographic databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar and Web of Science was conducted, using the keywords: "TikTok", "mental disorders", "mental health", "eating disorders", "social media".
Description of knowledge: Using TikTok can have both positive and negative effects. Positive aspects include an increased sense of social connection, reduction of stress and anxiety, and promotion of mental health issues by professionals. However, the app also carries risks, such as addiction, FOMO, misinformation, cyberbullying, impact on sleep quality and exposure to harmful content, and most importantly, exacerbates symptoms of mood and eating disorders. In order to minimise the negative effects of TikTok use, education about the potential risks is necessary.
Conclusion: TikTok has the potential to have a positive impact on mental health as long as users use it consciously and in moderation, and the platform, educators and parents take steps to minimise the negative effects of children and young people using the app.
References
Kancelaria Senatu. (2019). Mental health in the European Union, 5–6.
Jasiński, W. (2021). What is TikTok and how it works? Remedium, 7–8, 44.
Paul, K. (2020, July 16). Should you delete TikTok? Here’s what experts say about the app Trump wants to ban. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/jul/16/tiktok-video-sharing-app-should-you-delete-it
Brejza, K. (2022). TikTok as a modern source of knowledge. Bibliotheca Nostra, 2(62),51–63.
Smith, J. (2022). Why has nobody told me this before? HarperCollins.
Pretorius, C., McCashin, D., & Coyle, D. (2022). Mental health professionals as influencers on TikTok and Instagram: What role do they play in mental health literacy and help-seeking? Internet Interventions, 30, 100591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2022.100591
Verduyn, P., Ybarra, O., Resibois, M., & Jonides, J. (2017). Do social network sites enhance or undermine well-being? A critical review. Social Issues and Policy Review, 11(1),274–302.
Radovic, A., Gmelin, T., Stein, B. D., & Miller, E. (2017). Depressed adolescents’ positive and negative use of social media. Journal of Adolescence, 55, 5–15 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.12.002
Zhang, S., & Wu, X. (2022). Exploring the effects of TikTok content creation on users’ mental health. Journal of Social Media Research, 19(2), 203–220.
Burhan, R., & Mozadeh, J. (2020). Neurotransmitter dopamine and its role in developing social media addiction. Journal of Neurology & Neurophysiology, 11(7), 1–2.
Wu, W. (2023). TikTok addiction: Examining the technical aspects. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media, 4(1), 816–822. https://doi.org/10.54254/2753-7048/4/2022425
Metzler, H., & Garcia, D. (2023, July 19). Social drivers and algorithmic mechanisms on digital media. Perspectives on Psychological Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916231185057
Przybylski, A., Murayama, K., DeHaan, C., & Gladwell, V. (2013). Motivational, emotional, and behavioral correlates of fear of missing out. Computers in Human Behavior, 29, 1841–1848. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.02.014
Jupowicz-Ginalska, A., Kisilowska-Szurmińska, M., Iwanicka, K., Baran, T., & Wysocki, A. (2021). FOMO 2021: Poles and the fear of disconnection during a pandemic. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357448375_FOMO_201_Polacy_a_lek_przed_odlaczeniem_podczas_pandemii
Bliss, N., Bradley, E., Garland, J., Menczer, F., Ruston, S. W., Starbird, K., & Wiggins, C. (2020). An agenda for disinformation research. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2012.08572
Lewis-Kraus, G. (2022, June 3). How harmful is social media? The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/annals-of-inquiry/we-know-less-about-social-media-than-we-think
Twenge, J. M. (2020). Increases in depression, self-harm, and suicide among U.S. adolescents after 2012 and links to technology use: Possible mechanisms. Psychiatric Research and Clinical Practice, 2(1), 19–25. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.prcp.20190015
Zero, D. (2021). Cybersuicydologia – nowe technologie a samobójstwo. Kortowski Przegląd Prawniczy, 1, 35–52. https://doi.org/10.31648/kpp.6688
Amnesty International. (2024). Driven into the darkness: How TikTok’s “For You” feed encourages self-harm and suicidal ideation. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/research/2024/01/driven-into-the-darkness/
Pruccoli, J., De Rosa, M., Chiasso, L., Perrone, A., & Parmeggiani, A. (2022). The use of TikTok among children and adolescents with eating disorders: Experience from a third-level Italian center during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Italian Journal of Pediatrics, 48(1), 138. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13052-022-01308-4
Fardouly, J., Willburger, B. K., & Vartanian, L. R. (2018). Instagram use and women’s body image concerns and self-objectification: Testing mediational pathways. New Media & Society, 20(4), 1380–1395. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444817694499
Internet Matters Team. (2020, November 16). Ditch the label – Anti-bullying survey. Internet Matters. https://www.internetmatters.org/pl/hub/esafety-news/ditch-the-label-anti-bullying-survey-2020/
Patchin, J. W. (2021, June 1). 2021 cyberbullying data. Cyberbullying Research Center.https://cyberbullying.org/2021-cyberbullying-data
TikTok. (2021, February 24). TikTok’s H2 2020 transparency report. Newsroom. https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/tiktoks-h-2-2020-transparency-report
Hale, L., & Guan, S. (2015). Screen time and sleep among school-aged children and adolescents: A systematic review. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 21, 50–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2014.07.007
Russell, A. M., Davis, R. E., Ortega, J. M., Colditz, J. B., Primack, B., & Barry, A. E. (2021). #Alcohol: How alcohol is portrayed in top TikTok videos. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 82(5), 615–622. https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.2021.82.615
Kinsella, J. E., & Chin, B. N. (2024). Mechanisms linking social media use and sleep in emerging adults in the United States. Behavioral Sciences, 14(9), 794. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14090794
Turuba, R., Cormier, W., Zimmerman, R., Ow, N., Zenone, M., Quintana, Y., Jenkins, E., Ben-David, S., Raimundo, A., Marcon, A. R., Mathias, S., Henderson, J., & Barbic, S. (2024). Exploring how youth use TikTok for mental health information in British Columbia: Semistructured interview study with youth. JMIR Infodemiology, 4, e53233. https://doi.org/10.2196/53233
Woods, H. C., & Scott, H. (2016). #Sleepyteens: Social media use in adolescence is associated with poor sleep quality, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. Journal of Adolescence, 51, 41–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2016.05.008
Sala, A., Porcaro, L., & Gómez, E. (2024). Social media use and adolescents’ mental health and well-being: An umbrella review. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 14, 100404. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2024.100404
Tian, J. (2024). The impact of upward social comparison on social media: Appearance anxiety among young adults. Behavioral Sciences, 15(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15010008
Lindström, B., Bellander, M., Chang, A., Sauce, B., & Klein, T. A. (2021). A computational reward-learning account of social media behaviour. Nature Communications, 12, 3805. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19607-x
Qi, X., Jiang, Y., & Lian, R. (2024). The effect of social media upward comparison on Chinese adolescent learning engagement: A moderated multiple mediation model. BMC Psychology, 12, Article 122. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01621-z
Bahnweg, E., & Omar, H. (2023). Effects of TikTok on adolescent mental health and wellbeing. Dynamics of Human Health, 10(1), 1–7. https://www.journalofhealth.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/DHH_TikTok_Hatim.pdf
Best, P., Manktelow, R., & Taylor, B. (2014). Online communication, social media and adolescent wellbeing: A systematic narrative review. Children and Youth Services Review, 41, 27–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.03.001
TikTok. (2020, February 19). Introducing family safety mode and screen time management in feed. Newsroom. https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-gb/family-safety-mode-and-screentime-management-in-feed
TikTok. (2021, September 14). New resources to support our community’s well-being. Newsroom. https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/new-resources-to-support-well-being
Copyright (c) 2025 Michał Ziemba, Anna Ziemba, Katarzyna Giedzicz, Rafał Kulgawczuk, Klaudia Zackiewicz, Agata Wińska, Oliwia Sędziak, Hanna Pietruszewska, Agata Ogórek, Irmina Czerepak
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
All articles are published in open-access and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Hence, authors retain copyright to the content of the articles.
CC BY 4.0 License allows content to be copied, adapted, displayed, distributed, re-published or otherwise re-used for any purpose including for adaptation and commercial use provided the content is attributed.
