In society, we have many social media outlets, but one of the fast-growing and most influential apps in the app TikTok. 

Formerly known as Musically, but now known as Tik Tok,  is a social media platform that varies from short videos of lip syncing, to lifestyle, education, and entertainment. The ages on the app range from kids to adults, but the app is made for 12+. TikTok has grown tremendously throughout the years and influenced the world with trends, popularizing products, and songs. TikTok has impacted people’s lives in a variety of ways. It offers users a place to get information, unwind, and stay in touch with friends. Additionally, you get to witness how others who think very differently from you live their lives and learn about those ideas. 

TikTok provides advantages for users, but it’s also crucial to be mindful of its drawbacks. TikTok has a strong association with mental illnesses, particularly in young women, according to recent studies. The majority of the girls in the videos on TikTok have lean, fit bodies. These girls frequently flaunt their restricted, nutritious diets and rigorous exercise routines. Because of this, viewers of these posts are compelled to adopt these behaviors if they want to “have a good body”. In addition, a lot of female users of the app discuss their experiences with eating disorders and depression/anxiety.. These subjects may be educational and demonstrate that others have experienced similar difficulties to your own, but they can also be highly upsetting. According to a New York Times story, self-harm hospital admissions for girls between the ages of 10 and 14 increased by 100 percent between 2010 and 2014, the most recent year for which data is available, and rates of depression among teenage girls have doubled between 2009 and 2019. These figures are not insignificant. Young impressionable girls who use TikTok and social media always compare themselves to others. They develop unwholesome attitudes and unattainable beauty standards as a result, which causes mental diseases. 

TikTok has had an impact on multiple subjects but what is important to take away from this is that social media will always have negative and positive outcomes. No social media platform will only produce positive results because with everything good there is some bad that comes from it. TikTok has produced the most influence and impact compared to other social media platforms, but that does not necessarily mean that it is a positive platform that we should take all advice from. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/interactive/2022/tiktok-popularity/

https://nypost.com/2022/03/12/tiktok-has-become-a-dangerous-mental-disorder-breeding-ground/

https://sites.psu.edu/ist110pursel/2022/09/08/the-effects-of-tiktok/#:~:text=In%20a%20lot%20of%20ways,expand%20your%20mind%20and%20beliefs.