THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEENS, MENTAL HEALTH, AND TIKTOK AND WHY IT CAN BE DETRIMENTAL

Previously, we discussed the benefits of TikTok in regards to mental health, but there is plenty of misuse and misinformation floating around that your teen might fall into. Firstly, not all creators are experts nor are they licensed. Some might say they are credentialed, but is it in the right area? Are they able to prove that they are credentialed? Even when creators are properly licensed/credentialed, the information they provide are broad generalizations in an effort to educate, not diagnose. Teens cannot rely on blanket statements because many symptoms may present in similar ways like OCD and ADHD.  Diagnoses come after careful consideration of the individual’s symptoms and history. TikTok maybe able direct someone in the right direction but it can never replace a licensed therapist/doctor who is directly working with your teen. Next, you might have to be aware of what is being sold on TikTok as “cures”. Many teens might not understand that facing their issues often requires internal work, being vulnerable, maybe even uncomfortable, creating proactive change in some aspect of their life, and most importantly, being patient because it will take time. Therefore, when someone tells you they have “quick fix”, it more than likely is not a tool that you could learn skills from and be applied long term.  Additionally, many creators preach toxic “self-care” that actually just hopes to sell you some product that they “swear” fixed their issues.

Unfortunately, there are many people on TikTok (and real-life) that use both clinical and nonclinical terms incorrectly, thanks to a poor understanding of the concept and its origins. You might have heard someone say they have “OCD” or call someone a “narcissist”. You might have heard a teen self-diagnosing themselves as having “anxiety”, when in reality, they might just be shy. Teens can over pathologize themselves and other people’s very normal human behavior because they watched a 15 second-1 minute long video that barely scratches the surface of the disorder being explained. When these words are weaponized to be used against people we do not like, it can lead to the villainization of certain mental illnesses’ or could downplay the seriousness and nuances of the struggles associated with it. Does this mean your teen is lying when they say they’re anxious or depressed? Of course not. We just want to make sure children and adolescents have a space to open up about the challenges they are facing and as parents, we should pay attention to any warning signs.