The Relationship Between Problematic TikTok Use and Self-esteem: The Mediating Role of Social Comparison Among University Students in South Korea

This cross-sectional study examined whether problematic TikTok use was associated with self-esteem through upward and downward social comparisons among 324 university students in South Korea. Problematic TikTok use was assessed with the 16-item Problematic TikTok Use Scale, which captures obsession, escapism and lack of control. A parallel mediation model (PROCESS Model 4; 5,000 bootstrap resamples) was used, controlling for gender. Problematic TikTok use was positively associated with upward social comparison ( β = 0.482, p < .001) and downward social comparison ( β = 0.390, p < .001). Its direct association with self-esteem was not significant after controlling for the mediators and gender ( B = −0.035, p = .448). The indirect association through upward social comparison was negative and significant (effect = −0.135, 95% bootstrap confidence interval [CI; −0.203, −0.078]), whereas the indirect association through downward social comparison was not significant (effect = 0.024, 95% bootstrap CI [−0.017, 0.067]). These findings provide a platform-specific extension of prior social media research by showing that problematic TikTok use is associated with lower self-esteem, primarily through upward comparison. Because the study used cross-sectional data from a single-university convenience sample, causal conclusions are not warranted.