The Psychological Effects of TikTok: Examining Youth Mental Health and Social Media Engagement

As the popularity of TikTok is increasing and it staking the position of one of the most used social media platforms, this study assess the psychological impact of this platform on young people. The present research is devoted to studying the repercussions of TikTok utilization on youths’ and young-adults’ psychological health. The research employed a quantitative survey approach to acquire data from the tiktok app users represented across the age of 13-24 years. According to the findings, it is evident that the longer time spent on TikTok leads to an increase in the symptoms of anxiety and depression, meaning that the app has a negative impact on mental health. Additionally, both passive and active use of social networking site involved in the study was also associated with low self-esteem and negative body image perceptions defined by increased liking, sharing as well as commenting. The findings also established that the ANA had a negative impact on mental health, which necessitates intervention to counter the effect created by appearance-focused media consumption. Theoretical analysis is based on the Social Media Effects Theory and Social Comparison Theory; methodological considerations for educators, mental health workers, policymakers, and social media outlet are made as to how to lessen the negative repercussions of the TikTok app on the young.