TikTok has become one of the world’s most widely used and downloaded apps, with over 1 billion users across the world and counting. But research shows that this app may not have a positive impact on people’s well-being.

Beginning with India banning TikTok during the pandemic, many other states and countries have followed. Recently, multiple universities across the United States, such as UT Austin, UT Dallas, and more, are blocking TikTok on-campus wifi due to protection of privacy and security. Though this is the main reason for the ban, I believe this decision benefits the students and the people on campus. 

There are ways in which TikTok can be useful, such as being informed about international news, or learning new things and finding new hobbies. There are multiple ways in which this app could harm the welfare of the people.   

It’s already well known that TikTok is a highly addictive app, it recognizes your interest and shows the user videos about them which make them want to keep scrolling. This can lead to negative impacts on users’ mental health.  

Research shows that since the short 30-second videos on TikTok don’t require much consideration or attention, it reduces your memory and attention span, which may lead to long-term effects on the brain. Many TikTokers have said that because they’ve been spending a significant amount of their time on TikTok, they haven’t been able to focus on reading a book for more than 10 minutes and many users get bored or tired of longer videos or doing things that require more energy.

Some videos on TikTok encourage and fuel insecurity concerning the appearance, deprecating self-image and overall exacerbating unreliable or misleading information, which also may lead to inaccurate self-diagnosis of mental health disorders and more.  

In conclusion, I believe that if overused, TikTok could become toxic and negatively impact users’ mental health and psychological welfare.