With the rising popularity of the social media app TikTok, many people are questioning the impacts it could have on brain development as well as mental health in teens and adults. It is important to know the risks associated with this trending app so the public can make educated decisions regarding their mental and physical health.

To provide a bit of background knowledge on the app, TikTok was created by a company labeled ByteDance in Beijing, China, with its Chinese counterpart named “Douyin.”

One main issue with the app is its effect on the brain development of its target audience: teenagers and children. By constantly scrolling through 15 to 30-second-long videos, many users have found that their attention spans have shortened significantly; they find it difficult to simply sit down and read a book, article or even daily news because of their brain’s adaptation to short, engaging videos. These decreasing attention spans can create a serious problem regarding students’ ability to complete reading activities and finish schoolwork. Karli Crews, a student at CMHS, has noticed that her attention span has “significantly shortened and I find myself being distracted from my work because I would rather be on TikTok.”

TikTok uses a “personalized feed” to keep the user trapped in a theoretical “endless scroll” that is unlike many other present social media platforms. While TikTok has used this technique to gain popularity, many apps such as Instagram and Facebook are trying to emulate this style through extensions such as reels and YouTube Shorts.

While TikTok has many negative effects, the app also produces positive impacts by providing a place for new artists to share creativity and get a head start on career opportunities. By simply gathering a following on this platform, artists can earn money towards goals like signing to a record label, booking a gig or getting artwork displayed. Many creators have also described TikTok as a positive place to collaborate with whom they share interests through duets.

Similar to many apps such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, TikTok can negatively impact a young person’s outlook on their appearance and negatively influence their mental health. With tools like the “beauty filter,” it is easy for the user to compare themselves to others and begin to think they need to lose weight, wear more makeup or change themselves to become more pleasing to others. This is why it is important to remember that the person that is sharing themselves on social media may not be how they appear in real life and the internet is full of falsehoods.

While many users are obsessed with the trending app TikTok, it can have negative effects on a teenager’s outlook regarding their appearance and significantly decrease their attention span. Before even setting up an account, the user must allow access to their messages, country location, internet address and device model, which makes many parents question if others can see this information as well. To be cautious, parents should limit their children’s screen usage to reduce the risk of hindering their mental well-being or attention span.