Study: One in five young Spaniards spends over two hours daily on TikTok

One in five young Spaniards spends more than two hours a day on TikTok and exceeds the recommended limits for the use of social media, which may lead to an increase in their likelihood of experiencing mental health problems. The proportion of girls whose use is above this risk threshold (24.37%) is considerably higher than that of boys (15.45%). Those are the results of a study involving the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) and Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), which were published recently in open access format in the journal Nature.

While previous studies had examined the impact of social media on young people’s mental health in general terms, this research is pioneering in its analysis of the specific effects of TikTok on adolescents’ digital well-being. TikTok differs from other social media networks such as Instagram, X and Facebook, primarily because it encourages a more passive consumption of videos, and less interaction between its users. It is also the most popular social network among young people all over the world, especially in Spain, which is the country where the highest percentage of teenagers use it.

The study surveyed more than 1,000 young people between the ages of 12 and 18 from all over Spain, to find out how much time they spend on TikTok, and the types of content they view. Their self-perception of their digital well-being was also examined. Digital well-being is deemed to be the state of optimal balance between time spent online and cognitive and emotional well-being. This study measured three variables related to digital well-being: the young people’s ability to set limits for the time they spend using the application; their ability to create social connections and community; and their capacity for emotional resilience.

The authors of this research were Mireia Montaña, of the Learning, Media and Entertainment(GAME) research group, in the Faculty of Information and Communication Sciences at the UOC, with Mònika Jiménez, of the Communication, Advertising and Society (CAS) group in the Department of Communication, and Clara Virós, who both work at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF).

Over half of the young people spend more than an hour a day on TikTok

The research shows that more than half of the young people surveyed – 53.19% – spend more than an hour a day on TikTok, 35.28% spend more than an hour and a half, and 20.22% spend more than two hours. Among girls, this latter percentage is significantly higher, at 24.37%. Several previous studies have found that using social media for more than two hours a day is associated with low self-esteem related to body image, a negative self-perception of mental health, and an increased risk of psychological distress and suicidal ideation.

The time young people spend on TikTok stands in contrast to their self-perception of their level of digital well-being, which is generally positive. On a scale of 1 to 5, they rated their ability to set limits on their consumption time at 3.22; their emotional resilience to the content they viewed at 3.31, and their ability to generate social connections and community at 3.64.

The more time spent, the less ability to set limits

Mònika Jiménez said that “the more time young people spend on TikTok, the less they are able to set limits on the time they spend using the app.” The young people who spend more than two hours a day on TikTok rate their ability to set limits at 2.93 out of 5, while those spending between half an hour and an hour on it rate it as 3.33. Those who spend between 11 minutes and half an hour are more able to set limits (3.47), as are those who spend less than 10 minutes (3.53).

Persistence of traditional gender roles

The research also reveals significant differences in the types of content consumed on TikTok by teenage boys and girls, as Mireia Montaña explained. “Boys are mainly interested in content about video games and professional sports, while girls tend to consume content related to beauty and fashion, highlighting a persistence of traditional gender roles in their digital consumption preferences.”

The young people surveyed rated the frequency with which they watch different categories of videos from 1 to 5, with 1 meaning never, and 5 meaning always. Apart from comedy and music videos, which are among the three most frequently watched categories by both sexes, the rest of the most content consumed differs between the genders. Among girls, the five most viewed content categories are: comedy (3.24), music (3.22), fashion (3.02), beauty (3) and dance, and people lip-syncing (2.88). For boys, they are comedy (3.50), video games (3.19), music (3.06), professional sports (3.01) and news related to influencers and streamers (2.92).

Young people’s digital well-being does not only involve parental control

In view of the above, the study argues that measures to improve young people’s digital well-being must not be limited to parental control of the application or digital disconnection. Educational programmes with a gender perspective to foster healthy digital habits among young people and to provide their families with more support strategies to make this possible are also required. The study warns that measures involving indiscriminate restriction are not effective, and instead suggests that each young person should be encouraged to consume social media in moderation, in a way appropriate to their interests and needs. It also points out that regular audits of the algorithms used by media such as TikTok must be considered in order to prevent their potential addictive effects.

This study is part of the project Adolescent receivers and creators of mental health content on social media. Discourse, incidence and digital literacy on psychological disorders and their stigma, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.