By Jennifer Fiorillo
Mental Health
Jennifer Fiorillo
As a child of the 80s, I vividly remember the excitement of knowing that I was able to have three-way phone calls with my friends. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine having the ability to talk to two friends at once.
Times were much simpler then, and the most exposure we had to media and the world was through the newspaper, magazines, radio and our local television channels. If you were lucky, you had cable with HBO and Cinemax, and many of us needed our parents’ permission to watch those channels.
Fast forward to 2023 and almost everyone has access to a computer, tablet or cell phone to use the internet at any time of the day. In the early 1990s when the internet was first introduced for mainstream use, connecting could be more difficult with dial-up modems, and its use was far less than it is today. According to Internet World Stats, there were 16 million internet users in December 1995. By the end of 2022 there were about 5.5 billion users – or 69 percent of the world’s population.
Clearly there are pros and cons to today’s ability to access the internet at all hours using multiple devices. The internet has opened a world of information that is easily obtained and used as a valuable resource for learning.
With the advancement of technology and use of the internet came a number of social media and other platforms including MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and of course the infamous TikTok. TikTok is a relatively new platform, and its reach continues to expand across all ages. In 2021 there were more than one billion TikTok users monthly, and this continues to increase.
The newness of TikTok means that there is limited research about its impact on our youth. Yet there is growing concern over how young users are being exposed to material that is based on algorithms of their search history, how long they are watching specific content and their personal data, among other variables. This can lead down a path of trouble depending on the content that is being pushed out to some of those most susceptible to social influence, which includes youth between the ages of 11 and 17.
While TikTok has raised awareness about behavioral health issues, there has also been an uptick in the number of teens self-diagnosing Tourette syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, borderline personality disorder and autism.
There is a host of problems with the idea of teens self-diagnosing from information they hear on TikTok. First, there is no guarantee that what they are hearing is accurate and delivered by an expert in the field. Second, if someone might be experiencing symptoms of a behavioral health disorder, then there should be a full evaluation by a licensed professional who can confirm the condition and recommend a plan for treatment. Throwing around the idea to your friends that you have obsessive compulsive disorder without confirmation of that diagnosis can have serious consequences.
Other concerns about the use of TikTok, similarly to other social media platforms, include its impact on body image and the threat of cyberbullying. While TikTok may feel like an appealing way to feel connected and entertained, there is the risk of social exclusion that comes with drama generated on social media platforms. This can lead to increased levels of anxiety and depression for youth who are already struggling.
The message to parents is to monitor the use of social media and limit the time kids spend engaging in platforms if it becomes excessive. Watch out for signs of isolation and anxiety and try to identify parental controls when available. Implementing some of these measures can mean preventing compounding problems in the end.
Jennifer Fiorillo, MBA, MPH is the president and CEO of Bridges Healthcare in Milford, and may be reached at Jfiorillo@bridgesmilford.org.