Does TikTok Have Mental Health Effects on Teens?
Maybe your teen has seemed anxious, stressed, or depressed lately. You’ve noticed that they’ve been spending a lot more time on their phone, using apps like TikTok. You can’t help but wonder if all the hours they spend on TikTok are contributing to their struggles with mental health.
It’s easy to see why parents and teachers are concerned about how TikTok could be harming teens’ mental health. While lots of teens enjoy this app for sharing funny videos with their friends or stumbling on interesting content creators, it also has plenty of downsides. Here are a few reasons why TikTok could be hurting your teen’s mental health.
The Effect of TikTok on Teens’ Attention Spans
TikTok is designed to keep users scrolling for as long as possible. While an adult might have the foresight to put a time limit on their usage or set an alarm to remind them to put the phone down, teens don’t always have this level of self-control. Plus, if all of your teen’s friends use TikTok, they may be worried that they’ll miss something that all of their friends have seen.
This app is engineered to be addictive. Therefore, it’s psychologically difficult for a teen to set limits around using it. As your teen gets accustomed to taking in information as short videos and clips, it can shorten their attention span, making it harder for them to pay attention to other things.
How TikTok Interferes with Sleep
When it’s so tough to stop scrolling, your teen might stay up late night after night watching TikToks. Their phone emits blue light, which disrupts their circadian rhythm and makes it hard to fall asleep. During the day, they inevitably feel exhausted and cranky. You have to deal with the effects of their bad moods!
If your teen isn’t getting enough sleep, they might have trouble paying attention in school the next day. It’s almost inevitable that you’ll bicker more often. A lack of sleep is also associated with worsening symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Negative Comparisons to Other People
If your teen is comparing their own life to content they see on TikTok, they can easily end up feeling like they’re falling short of unrealistic standards. It can seem like everyone else’s life is perfect, while theirs is painfully ordinary. They might feel anxious about their “shortcomings,” or they may be depressed because they worry that they aren’t “enough.”
Taking Away Time from Healthier Hobbies
Scrolling for hours on TikTok might account for a huge portion of your teen’s day. All of this time could be better spent on hobbies that are healthier and more enjoyable, from playing sports to writing in a journal to baking. In short, TikTok takes time away from activities that actually support your teen’s mental and physical health. In the long run, this can harm your teen’s wellbeing.
Exposure to Misinformation
Finally, misinformation can circulate easily on TikTok. Your teen might be exposed to negative videos on a daily basis, or even inaccurate videos about managing their mental health. This can affect their perspective and outlook on life. Seeing so much negative content or outright disinformation can make them view the world in a pessimistic light. They might worry that their future will be bleak because they see so many discouraging headlines about current events.
Taking some time away from TikTok can help them focus on what’s truly important and reflect on gratitude rather than dwelling on bad headlines.
Do you suspect that TikTok is having a negative effect on your teen’s mental health? They might benefit from working with a therapist. Reach out to us to find out more about our teen therapy.