How TikTok is Affecting Your Brain and Mental Health
The video platform is currently under investigation by a number of US states to determine its influence on young users’ mental health.
Dr. David Barnhart, the clinical mental health counselor at
Behavioral Sciences of Alabama, said all social media platforms can impact how
a person views themselves. But TikTok users are exposed to dozens of videos
within minutes, activating the reward pathway in the brain. Young users can
become addicted to the app and may seek constant stimulation. In addition,
Barnhart said young users are often exposed to TikTok videos that fuel body
dissatisfaction, appearance-related anxiety, exercise addiction, and more. These
videos can distort our self-image.
“They begin to get this view of themselves in comparison to other people and the more of that we see, the more distorted our view of what it’s like to be the best, to be good.”
What have I learned
- Viewing content on apps like TikTok might promote body dissatisfaction, appearance-related anxiety, and exercise addiction among others
- TikTok activates reward pathway in the brain that might grow into addiction, however, regulating our usage can prevent this
- Regulating our use by postponing our use of a social media app until we get our stuff done can be effective
You can read the full article here
💬 What are your thoughts on this article?
💬 Are you a TikTok user? Have you noticed any negative effects from using the app (or similar apps)?
💬 What can we do to use these kinds of apps without impoverishing our mental health?
#TikTok #mentalhealth #well-being #brain
@globalBraid3744
This article can be a bit challenging because I think in terms of negative influence, TikTok is definitely not the first to impose such issues (it's been with instagram, facebook in the past). Yet I do think social media having a detrimental effect on people is definitely real.
I am an avid TikTok user and I've noticed the amount of time that can go by when just scrolling through. It really can be addicting and if not controlled can eat up a lot of time in your day. Also TikTok pushes a lot of standards that many youth follow which leads to the TikTok culture.
I think TikTok is a great consolidator for conversation and connection with people online. But its important to understand that it has its negatives. I think having a healthy mindset that online is heavily edited, and being mindful of overconsumption are some basic steps in keeping our usage in check.
@sunnyWriting4806 This is a great response. Well-said!
@sunnyWriting4806
I agree that it is not about TikTok per se. Lots of things in life depend on balance and can have a significant effect on our health when it is out of balance. I believe all things have positives and negatives. Having a healthy mindset and acknowledging that the content online (on any app) might be heavily edited and being careful of overconsumption can prevent us from experiencing the potential negative effects.
@globalBraid3744 I am an avid TikTok user and I have been since way before the pandemic! 😂 I think TikTok is great in small doses, but I am also guilty of going on for hours and just scrolling. I think limiting our time on these apps is essential because we can become distracted from what we really need to get done. Using these apps as a reward for getting our work done can be a great idea!
@fruityPond7887
I love your idea to use these apps as a reward for getting the work done! As you said it works as a perfect distracter and can keep us entertained for hours and it is definitely more appealing than working so it is easy to procrastinate. I am also guilty of losing perception of time sometimes, so now I have set a goal for myself to regulate my usage more.
@globalBraid3744 Oh yeah. It's definitely a time sink and they're addicting because the videos are so short, so it doesn't take much of our attention span! They're a perfect recipe for distractions!
It's banned where I'm from lol
