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Yes.
Research has linked use of the video-sharing platform TikTok to anxiety, depression and suicide.
The Center for Countering Digital Hate created TikTok accounts that paused briefly on videos about body image and mental health, and liked them; within 2.6 minutes, TikTok recommended suicide-related content.
Amnesty International found that children who show an interest in mental health are drawn into “rabbit holes of potentially harmful content, including videos that romanticize and encourage depressive thinking, self-harm and suicide.”
One study analyzed TikTok videos hashtagged #mentalhealth; almost half “reported or expressed symptoms of mental distress.” Another found a tendency to repeatedly expose users to content that could harm their mental health.
A study cited by New York University social media researcher Jonathan Haidt found that asking people to stop using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok for one week improves well-being, depression and anxiety.
TikTok says it has more than 150 million U.S. users.
Editor’s note: This post was updated to better frame the question and answer.
Sources
Bloomberg Businessweek: TikTok’s Algorithm Keeps Pushing Suicide to Vulnerable Kids
counterhate.com: Deadly By Design: TikTok pushes harmful content promoting eating disorders and self-harm into young users’ feeds
Amnesty International: Driven into Darkness
formative.jmir.org: Deconstructing TikTok Videos on Mental Health: Cross-sectional, Descriptive Content Analysis
twin-cities.umn.edu: How is TikTok affecting our mental health? It’s complicated, new U of M study shows
TikTok: Celebrating our thriving community of 150 million Americans
Pew Research: Teens, Social Media and Technology 2022
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