May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and one of the most influential activities that have an effect on people’s mental health is the device in their hands. Although TikTok can be very helpful to some people, it also is known for having a damaging effect on mental health, specifically talking about teen’s mental health. Some risks that come with downloading and being on TikTok is using videos that are naming syndromic, sexual content and tutorials that are teaching users to have a lack of association with people around them in the everyday world. Some other risks that TikTok may cause is addiction and screen time. This doesn't only affect teens but children and adults as well. Teens just so happen to be one of the main targets of the app, especially in the U.S.
The biggest impact TikTok has on teens is when it comes to their insecurities. They see other people their age and tend to get very insecure, and some of those who are insecure will comment on other people’s videos, bringing them down as a person, which can also lead to self-harm for some people. However, this isn’t the only way teens can become insecure. On a reality TV show that came out in 2021 called “The D’amelio Show,” TikTok stars Charli and Dixie D'amelio both spoke out about the bullying and harassment that brought their mental health down. This caused Dixie D'amelio to take a step back from social media for quite some time. These two aren’t the only ones who experience social media trolls bringing their insecurities to light. In an article from Forbes magazine, writer John Koetsier described TikTok as “digital crack cocaine” and explained how TikTok puts a spotlight on people's insecurities. Research has shown that when a person is on TikTok it causes a dopamine rush in the brain that makes it so addictive it makes the person want to stay on it longer.
Not only is TikTok having an effect on teens but the little kids who have social media as well. When TikTok influencers are doing something inappropriate, they don't realize they have multiple kinds of people watching them, and some of those viewers are children. Some children will see a trend that is dangerous or see an influencer they like doing something that children shouldn’t be watching, and they want to do the same thing. This has become a problem all across the world, and it has gotten some parents involved because their children are doing stuff they shouldn't at such a young age. Not only is this a problem at home, but it's a problem on social media as well because now young kids are doing the same thing as a teen and get hated on because of their actions. That can cause a child to become self-conscious and shut down, which shouldn't happen at such a young age. According to Dr. Murthy’s being on for teens and children you have more trouble sleeping when it comes to being on social media and a trouble time understanding things.
When did being on one’s phone become so addicting? When did TikTok get big? These are questions that get asked all the time. TikTok and being on one’s phone became more and more popular and addicting back in 2020 when COVID-19 hit. Since everyone was quarantined no one had anything to do but be on their phone, and it became addicting. Being on TikTok has become a lifeline to people and used as a tool to contact people. Now people use it as a way to show how others view them or how they view themselves as a person. This causes a lot of stress to people who like to please others and don't want to let them down, but this isn't the only problem. TikTok can create so much information, and users are taking in a whole bunch of information all at one time, and it can tend to become overwhelming for most.
This isn't only a problem at home, but it's becoming a problem at school as well. Teens are often not paying attention to their teachers and are on TikTok doing dances or just scrolling, not learning anything in the class. This can affect a student's learning and have them fall behind on their grades, bringing stress to get their grades up. However, it's not just the students who have a problem. TikTok has become so addicting and having an impact on everyone that even some teachers use it inside of their classroom. Now, not all teachers are using it in a bad way, since some use it as a resource to better their students, while others not so much. Teachers are getting posted on TikTok for yelling and cursing at students, while some other teachers are now even recording themselves while teaching their class to post on TikTok, which can cause a lot of damage or disturbance inside the classroom and online.
TikTok has caused a lot of people's mental health to be brought down and can make people feel bad about themselves or each other. People need to be more mindful about what they post on social media and how long they spend on social media or on their phone in general. Even if a person thinks it doesn't have an effect on them, it can, and it's important to keep that in mind. Individuals must be mindful about what they say to each other when communicating on social media because it can have a bigger impact than they think.