The Battle of The Benefits

While some supporters view TikTok to be helpful for the mental health of users, other critics view it to be harmful to the mental health of users, causing an uptick in depression rates amongst teens. There are several aspects which develop the opposing opinions, including, but not limited to; personal experience, research, media messages, and word of mouth. If a person stating an argument claims the media platform triggered a depressive episode following their use of TikTok, then they have a basis for their claim. On the opposing end, if a person has used TikTok while feeling depressed and it made them happier, the user’s personal experience with the platform demonstrates evidence regarding the positive impact of TikTok.

When doing a Google Search about the impact of TikTok impacting the mental health of a user, there were more pieces of evidence that appear which state that the content on TikTok is the cause of the user’s depression. By the results that were generated first containing a negative connotation, this impacts the way in which a person views the topic as a whole. Each source is incredibly accurate, as they are scholarly articles that provide information about the impact of TikTok and how it causes it’s users depression. As far as research goes, it will be extremely difficult for the searcher to find any source that lists TikTok as a therapeutic agent, especially when such sources are not any of the top generated following a search. The media sources which are produced by an online search have extremely large impact on the way the public views things, as the way in which the messages are conveyed has the power to create a bias and sway public opinion on a particular topic. With the popularity of a particular news source, there is a larger chance that these altered messages will reach millions of people, allowing their opinion to be formed in a different light. The larger the news source, the more important it seems to the public, allowing the messages being preached by the form of media to resonate in a more impactful manner.

CNN shared a story about how experts believe TikTok is one of the leading causes of the current mental health crisis within our country among teens. Vanessa Yurkevich, the writer of the article, goes into great depth about the issues which TikTok produces, such as insomnia and distraction from other important daily life activities. Yurkevich even goes as far as to quote a high status government official stating that TikTok can serve as “digital fentanyl”. When a reader views those two hard hitting words, they will automatically be swayed to believe TikTok is harmful, considering a government official compared it to a drug which can be life ending. Through the intense language used to trick the public, the author creates a sense of danger surrounding the app, framing a quote which refers to the app being as addictive and harmful as drugs.

“A lot of teens describe the experience of going on TikTok and intending to spend 15 minutes and then they spend two hours and or more. That’s problematic because the more time a teen spends on social media, the more likely he or she is to be depressed. And that’s particularly true for at the extremes of use,” said Twenge.

By Yurkevich including a quote stating that teens who spend long periods of time on the app become depressed is a fallacy, as the content which the teens are watching could be helpful to them. The instance of teens spending a long period of time on the app is beneficial to their mental state as it is allowing them to feel a sense of belonging on the app, serving as a coping mechanism for their depression. Instead of being a major cause of depression, TikTok is able to take it away through the content posted on the app by creators. Users may initially intend to spend a short amount of time on their app to give their mind a distraction from their problems, but they end up finding relatable and helpful content which engages their interests and aids in their struggles, resulting in longer periods of time spent on the app. Long amounts of time spent on TikTok viewing helpful content can serve as a therapy session, as the users are able to find a sense of relief as they view videos of fellow users going through a similar struggle, allowing them feel as they are not alone. This in turn allows the user to feel as if they are not alone, resolving any feelings of loneliness one may feel when battling their depression. This concept alone allows viewers to cope with their depression at any time, as TikTok has the ability to serve as a form of handheld therapy.

Word of mouth is one of the fastest ways in which information is able to spread. If a person has a negative experience on TikTok in regards to depression, then they could tell others, leading to a consistent spread of negative information about the platform. The more that negative information is spread about TikTok, the more it will be looked down upon as a platform which is harmful to the mental health of users, leading to depression. On the other hand, users could spread the word of their positive encounters with TikTok and the way in which it served as a positive coping mechanism with their battle of depression. Through verbal communication, a user could share which content creators on the app helped with their recovery the most and served as a form of therapy for them, which would provide another user with depression a starting point on their therapeutic journey. If they connect with the suggested influencers, then they could spread the word about the positive impact TikTok has had on them and their mind, and could potentially suggest additional creators who they have connected with while exploring the app.

References

Yurkevich, Vanessa. “Why Experts Worry TikTok Could Add to Mental Health Crisis among US Teens | CNN Business.” CNN, Cable News Network, 11 Jan. 2023, http://www.cnn.com/2023/01/11/tech/tiktok-teen-mental-health/index.html.