Anyone who is already mentally ill should stay away from TikTok, says Stevie Chancellor from the University of Minnesota . The social media platform's content and its unique presentation could worsen a person's already fragile mental health, the researcher has found.
Feeling of community
But the matter is by no means clear. TikTok can also be of help. When surveyed, Chancellor's team found that people value the social platform because it gives them a sense of self-discovery and community that they don't feel on other social media.
However, researchers say TikTok's algorithm also shows a worrying tendency to repeatedly expose users to content that could be harmful to their mental health. Chancellor warns:
“Our research shows that TikTok helps people find community and mental health information. But people should also be careful because the platform also provides them with content that is harmful to their well-being.”
Stevie Chancellor
Content presented without being asked
TikTok differs from other social media platforms with a recommendation system that presents the user with videos that it believes will meet users' tastes, rather than primarily showing posts from accounts they follow. While this can be a great way to get to know new things, it can also lead to content that has a negative impact - a trap from which it is almost impossible to escape.
“TikTok is a huge platform for mental health content. People tend to gravitate towards social media to find information and other people going through similar situations. Many of our participants spoke about how helpful this mental health information was. But eventually, because of the way the feed works, it will give them more and more of the same content. And then instead of being helpful, it can become stressful.”
Graduate student Ashlee Milton.
Source:
Press release
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