Social media has become the backdrop of daily life for many young adults. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and others aren’t just places to pass the time — they’re where friendships are maintained, trends are born, and information can be found on everything from DIY projects to mental health support.
These spaces can feel like genuine communities. At their best, they offer connection and creativity. But as many have learned, the same platforms that make us laugh or help us feel seen can also leave us anxious, comparing ourselves to others, scrolling through misleading or distressing news, and questioning our own well-being.
That tension — the possibility for both comfort and harm — is what makes the relationship between social media and mental health worth exploring, and TikTok in particular has captured researchers’ attention.
The app is designed to hold your focus for as long as possible, predict what will keep you watching, and feed you more of it in just the right balance to keep things fresh. That’s why it’s possible to go from a single lighthearted clip to an hour of scrolling without even noticing. And while that design fuels TikTok’s popularity, it also raises an important question: What does it mean for your mental health when an algorithm knows how to keep you engaged, whether the content is good for you or not?
When Social Media Helps
Social media isn’t all bad news for mental health. In fact, it has opened doors that were closed for a long time. Licensed therapists and psychiatrists now use TikTok and other platforms to share short, approachable videos that explain what therapy is really like, how anxiety works in your brain, or why depression doesn’t look the same for everyone. If you’ve never considered reaching out to a professional, seeing these conversations in a familiar, low-pressure space can make mental health care feel less intimidating. It can also spark curiosity — planting the idea that therapy could be a resource for you, too.
Clinicians also host “Lives,” real-time video streams where they answer questions from followers and share educational insights that feel personal and approachable without stepping into one-on-one treatment or patient-specific advice.
There’s something powerful about scrolling through content created by others who just “get it.” Hashtags like #anxiety, #ADHD, or #PTSD connect you with people across the world who are going through similar experiences, sharing glimpses into struggles and wins that might otherwise stay hidden. That kind of visibility can feel grounding — suddenly you have words for feelings that seemed impossible to describe. It can also be a relief to realize you’re not the only one dealing with what you’re going through.
Representation matters, too. Seeing people who look and talk like you openly discussing therapy or coping strategies can shift the idea of mental health support from abstract to attainable.
In this way, social media has become an introduction to community and, for some, a genuine entry point into therapy itself.
When the Risks Outweigh the Rewards
The same platforms that make support more visible also carry real risks. On highly visual apps like TikTok, what you see — and how often you see it — is shaped by an opaque algorithm designed to maximize time on the app. That can tilt your feed toward content that’s extreme, oversimplified, or simply repeated so often it starts to feel like truth. Here’s what to watch for.
Misinformation
Body Image
TikTok is flooded with appearance-focused posts, from “fitspiration” workout clips to cosmetic surgery promotions. Some estimates state that over half of cosmetic surgery videos on TikTok are created by physicians, often for self-promotion. Even though platforms have rules intended to limit exposure to younger users, enforcement and visibility controls don’t always prevent under-18s — particularly teenage girls — from encountering it.
Exposure to “fitspo” content has been shown to increase negative mood and appearance comparison, echoing earlier research on Instagram. Interestingly, one study noted that it did not immediately increase body dissatisfaction, but later work found that the longer people spent on TikTok, the more likely they were to report harm to their body image despite also encountering body-positive messages.
Algorithms play a major role here. Because they feed you more of what you watch, they can amplify body-focused content until your feed feels dominated by it. That kind of repetition can normalize extreme or unrealistic standards of appearance. At the same time, early social media literacy programs — especially with adolescent girls and young women — have shown modest success in helping users question and resist harmful content.3,4,5,6
Doomscrolling
Then there’s doomscrolling: the habit of getting stuck in a loop of negative or distressing content. Research during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted just how quickly this can take a toll. One study found that as little as two minutes of exposure to negative news on social media was enough to raise anxiety, lower mood, and increase stress levels. That cycle of distress can build fast.
Some researchers have asked whether the opposite might also help — what if we balance “doomscrolling” with intentional “kindness scrolling”? Seeking out positive or hopeful stories doesn’t erase the bad, but it may soften its impact and restore a sense of balance in what you’re consuming.⁷
Substance Use and Recovery Communities
TikTok has also become a gathering place for people sharing stories of recovery from substance use. A 2021 content analysis looked at some of the most-liked videos related to sobriety, relapse, and milestones. These videos had millions of views and hundreds of thousands of comments, often focused on encouragement, community support, and the ups and downs of staying sober.
On the one hand, this kind of visibility can reduce stigma. Seeing real people talk openly about addiction and recovery helps normalize the idea that seeking help is not a weakness but a step toward healing. However, these narratives haven’t been studied enough to know whether they actually help people sustain recovery or increase willingness to pursue evidence-based treatment. For now, they’re best seen as one layer of support — potentially inspiring, but not a replacement for professional care.⁸
Eating Disorders
Eating disorder content on TikTok is particularly complex. In one study, 64% of young patients with eating disorders reported that they found pro-anorexia videos through TikTok’s algorithm without actively searching for them.
The platform also hosts recovery-oriented videos, where people share their progress, setbacks, and treatment experiences. Patients reported that TikTok can feel both harmful and helpful — exposing them to triggering messages, but also connecting them to communities focused on healing. Other studies echo this duality. Content tagged with body-positive themes can buffer against harmful effects, but long-term exposure still tends to erode body image over time.⁹
Tics
Other Behaviors
Clinicians are also noticing a newer pattern that goes beyond misinformation or modeling: the way mental health conditions are sometimes performed, exaggerated, or self-diagnosed online, often in ways that don’t align with clinical presentations.
One example is the rise of adolescents presenting with self-diagnosed Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), sometimes after following creators who portray the condition in stylized or dramatized ways. Researchers have described this as mass social media–induced illness (MSMI) — a digital form of symptom spread where behaviors or identities are mimicked and amplified.
Not all of these cases are the same. Some represent malingering, where individuals may exaggerate symptoms for material gain, like selling merchandise or increasing views. Others fit factitious disorder, where the motivation is to assume the “sick role” or gain attention and sympathy.
The research here is still developing, and it’s important not to dismiss the real distress many people feel. But it does raise questions about how online environments shape what we believe about mental health.
Why the Algorithm Matters
At the heart of these issues is the algorithm itself. TikTok and similar platforms are designed to learn your interests and serve you more of what you’ll watch. That can mean discovering content that feels surprisingly relevant — but it can also mean being drawn into cycles of negativity or misinformation without realizing it. Studies continue to find that problematic TikTok use is positively associated with anxiety, depression, and sleepiness among adolescents, and that half of top mental health-related TikTok videos (on topics like trauma, anxiety, neurodivergence, etc.) contain misleading or inaccurate information.
Public health experts have called for more transparency about how algorithms work and stronger community guidelines to limit harmful content. Until then, awareness is one of the most important tools for protecting your mental health online. Recognizing that your feed is made to maximize your time on the app — not to support your well-being — can make it easier to step back and set boundaries.13,14,15,16,17
Protecting Your Mental Health Online
You can take steps to make your experience with social media healthier. Developing media literacy — the ability to evaluate what you’re seeing and decide how much weight to give it — can help immensely. Some practical tips include:
- Ask yourself who’s posting. Do they have any qualifications, or are they speaking from personal or anecdotal experience?
- Look for evidence. Reliable information usually comes with references to research or professional knowledge.
- Notice your own response. If you feel anxious, ashamed, or exhausted after watching, that’s your mind telling you to step back.
- Cross-check. See what other sources — especially professional ones — say about the same topic.
- Be wary of “quick fixes.” Treatment and diagnosis do not happen overnight and should come from licensed professionals, not your feed.
If you catch yourself doomscrolling, try to combat it with uplifting or encouraging videos. Even a small shift in what you watch can change the tone of your time online while training your algorithm to tilt toward the positive.
Finding Balance
Social media isn’t going anywhere. For young adults, it will likely remain a central way of connecting, sharing, and learning. That doesn’t have to be a bad thing. These platforms can spark creativity, destigmatize conversations around mental health, connect you with licensed professionals, and help you feel less alone. But they can also amplify comparison, spread misinformation, and trap you in unhealthy cycles.
The key is balance: paying attention to how social media affects your mood, curating your feed with care, and remembering that no video — no matter how convincing — can replace professional mental health support.
If you’re ready to explore what professional mental health support might look like, the team at Rivia Mind is here to help. Our caring, compassionate clinicians come from all backgrounds and lived experiences — find a provider who feels right for you today.
The Weekly Education Talks is a blog series from Rivia Mind highlighting clinical perspectives and evolving topics in mental health care. This article is based on a presentation by Jacob Barela, PMHNP, and reflects our commitment to evidence-based, relationship-centered care for every provider and patient.
References
- Schiros, A., Bowman, N., & Antshel, K. (2025). Misinformation mayhem: the effects of TikTok content on ADHD knowledge, stigma, and treatment-seeking intentions. European child & adolescent psychiatry, 10.1007/s00787-025-02769-8. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-025-02769-8
- Basch, C. H., Donelle, L., Fera, J., & Jaime, C. (2022). Deconstructing TikTok Videos on Mental Health: Cross-sectional, Descriptive Content Analysis. JMIR formative research, 6(5), e38340. https://doi.org/10.2196/38340
- Rivera, Jean Carlo BS; Juan, Hui Yu BS; Long, Aaron S. BS; Hauc, Sacha C. MPH; Junn, Adam H. BS; Persing, John A. MD; Alperovich, Michael MD, MSc, FACS. Presence of Cosmetic and Aesthetic Surgery on TikTok. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery – Global Open 10(9):p e4519, September 2022. DOI: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000004519
- Pryde, S., & Prichard, I. (2022). TikTok on the clock but the #fitspo don’t stop: The impact of TikTok fitspiration videos on women’s body image concerns. Body image, 43, 244–252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.09.004
- Bissonette Mink, D., & Szymanski, D. M. (2022). TikTok use and body dissatisfaction: Examining direct, indirect, and moderated relations. Body image, 43, 205–216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.09.006
- Harriger, J. A., Evans, J. A., Thompson, J. K., & Tylka, T. L. (2022). The dangers of the rabbit hole: Reflections on social media as a portal into a distorted world of edited bodies and eating disorder risk and the role of algorithms. Body image, 41, 292–297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.03.007
- Buchanan K, Aknin LB, Lotun S, Sandstrom GM (2021) Brief exposure to social media during the COVID-19 pandemic: Doom-scrolling has negative emotional consequences, but kindness-scrolling does not. PLoS ONE 16(10): e0257728. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257728
- Russell, A. M., Bergman, B. G., Colditz, J. B., Kelly, J. F., Milaham, P. J., & Massey, P. M. (2021). Using TikTok in recovery from substance use disorder. Drug and alcohol dependence, 229(Pt A), 109147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.109147
- Pruccoli, J., De Rosa, M., Chiasso, L., Perrone, A., & Parmeggiani, A. (2022). The use of TikTok among children and adolescents with Eating Disorders: experience in a third-level public Italian center during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Italian journal of pediatrics, 48(1), 138.
- Hull, M., & Parnes, M. (2021). Tics and TikTok: Functional Tics Spread Through Social Media. Movement disorders clinical practice, 8(8), 1248–1252. https://doi.org/10.1002/mdc3.13267https://doi.org/10.1186/s13052-022-01308-4
- Olvera, C., Stebbins, G. T., Goetz, C. G., & Kompoliti, K. (2021). TikTok Tics: A Pandemic Within a Pandemic. Movement disorders clinical practice, 8(8), 1200–1205. https://doi.org/10.1002/mdc3.13316
- Zea Vera, A., Bruce, A., Garris, J., Tochen, L., Bhatia, P., Lehman, R. K., Lopez, W., Wu, S. W., & Gilbert, D. L. (2022). The Phenomenology of Tics and Tic-Like Behavior in TikTok. Pediatric neurology, 130, 14–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2022.02.003
- Bilali, A., Katsiroumpa, A., Koutelekos, I., Dafogianni, C., Gallos, P., Moisoglou, I., & Galanis, P. (2025). Association Between TikTok Use and Anxiety, Depression, and Sleepiness Among Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study in Greece. Pediatric Reports, 17(2), 34. https://doi.org/10.3390/pediatric17020034
- McCrory, A., Best, P., & Maddock, A. (2022). ‘It’s just one big vicious circle’: young people’s experiences of highly visual social media and their mental health. Health education research, 37(3), 167–184. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyac010
- Stahl, C. C., & Literat, I. (2022). #GenZ on TikTok: the collective online self-Portrait of the social media generation. Journal of Youth Studies, 26(7), 925–946. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2022.2053671
- The Guardian. More than half of top 100 mental health TikToks contain misinformation, study finds.
- Jain, L., Velez, L., Karlapati, S., Forand, M., Kannali, R., Yousaf, R. A., Ahmed, R., Sarfraz, Z., Sutter, P. A., Tallo, C. A., & Ahmed, S. (2025). Exploring Problematic TikTok Use and Mental Health Issues: A Systematic Review of Empirical Studies. Journal of primary care & community health, 16, 21501319251327303. https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319251327303
