One in five young Spaniards spends more than two hours a day on TikTok, which exceeds the recommended threshold and increases the risk of mental health problems. This is revealed by a study by the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) in collaboration with the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), which analyzes the specific effects of this social network on the ‘digital well-being’ of adolescents.
This concept refers to the balance between connection time and cognitive and emotional well-being, and is evaluated through three variables: young people’s ability to set limits on their use of the application, their ability to generate social connections and their emotional resilience against the content consumed.
The study, which surveyed 1,043 Spanish young people between 12 and 18 years old, reveals that more than half of the participants (53.19%) spend more than an hour a day on TikTok, 35.28% spend more than an hour and average and 20.22% exceed two hours a day. This intensive use is especially high among girls, where 24.37% exceed two hours a day, compared to 15.45% of boys. Such a high consumption of the application is associated with a higher risk of suffering from mental health problems, such as low self-esteem, psychological stress, a negative perception of emotional well-being and even suicidal thoughts.
While boys are mainly interested in video game content and professional sports, girls prefer content related to beauty and fashion, reflecting the persistence of traditional gender roles.
TikTok, the most popular platform among young people worldwide, is distinguished by encouraging passive video consumption, in which users interact less with each other compared to other social networks, which makes a significant difference in the digital experience of the teenagers. This consumption pattern could be contributing to the negative effects observed on the digital well-being of young people, since on a scale of 1 to 5, they rate their ability to set limits on consumption time with an average of 3.22; their emotional resilience to the content viewed with a 3.31 and the ability to generate social connections and community, with a 3.64.
The longer the time on TikTok, the less ability to set limits
The main researcher, Mònika Jiménez, assures that as the time spent on TikTok increases, young people show a lesser ability to set limits on their consumption of the app. In fact, those who spend more than two hours a day on the platform rate their ability to set limits with a 2.93 out of 5, while those who spend between half an hour and an hour rate it with a 3.33. Those who spend between 11 and 30 minutes have a score of 3.47, and those who use it for less than 10 minutes have a score of 3.53.
There is a need to carry out periodic audits of the platforms’ algorithms to prevent their addictive effects.
The research also reveals significant differences in the types of content consumed on TikTok by boys and girls. While boys are mainly interested in video game content and professional sports, girls prefer content related to beauty and fashion, reflecting the persistence of traditional gender roles in digital consumption.
Among the most consumed content, boys rate comedy videos, video games, music, sports and news from influencerswhile the girls highlight comedy, music, fashion, beauty and dance videos.
Towards healthy use
Given this situation, the digital well-being of young people should not depend solely on parental control or digital disconnection. The study highlights the need to implement educational programs that promote healthy digital habits, as well as to provide families with support strategies, with a gender focus. These actions are essential to help young people develop a balanced and conscious use of social networks.
Furthermore, the study warns that restrictive measures are not effective on their own. It is crucial to encourage each young person to maintain a level of consumption appropriate to their interests and needs. In this context, there is a need to carry out periodic audits of the algorithms of platforms such as TikTok to prevent their addictive effects and protect the digital well-being of users.
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