PROBLEMATIC TikTok use must be considered an addiction for both the significant risk it entails and for its developmental trajectory, scientists have warned in a systematic review.
Elevated levels of salience, abstinence, tolerance, craving, excessive use, desire to control consumption, and alterations in daily life habits were all found to be tied to problematic TikTok use.
Problematic TikTok Use
Since its launch in 2017, TikTok has amassed approximately 2 billion active users.
The rise of short-form video content platform has sparked discourse surrounding problematic use, which some consider akin to addiction.
Problematic use can be understood as patterns of behaviour where people spend excessive time on the social media platform, neglect responsibilities, and continue to use TikTok despite experiencing negative consequences.
Researchers have also touched on TikTok use disorder, a more severe condition characterised by compulsive use and a loss of control over usage.
Behavioural Addiction
The 2025 systematic review analysing problematic TikTok use initially found nearly 300 related articles from 15 September 2023 to 30 March 2024.
Risk factors were then analysed across 21 eligible studies.
Researchers identified factors including salience, craving, and abstinence, confirming the potential risk of problematic TikTok use as a behavioural addiction.
Mental Health Implications
In other research published during the same period, it was found that frequent use of TikTok is closely tied to an increase in clinical symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Alarmingly, these symptoms were particularly prevalent in users aged under 24 years.
Women were more likely to experience problematic TikTok use, with nearly 70% of cases found among women at university.
Higher addiction scores were found in people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and those with higher levels of neuroticism.
Future Classification of Addiction
Researchers warned that there are currently no established guidelines, nor a sufficient number of clinical cases to determine the inclusion of TikTok addiction within any official classification.
However, the importance of the integration of digital literacy and media literacy into educational curricula has been emphasised by experts.
References
Caponnetto P et al. Understanding problematic TikTok use: A systematic review of emerging diagnostic and therapeutic implications of clinical psychology. J Addict Dis. 2025;DOI:10.1080/10550887.2025.2473179.
Statista. TikTok – statistics and facts. 2026. Available at: https://www.statista.com/topics/6077/tiktok/#topicOverview. Last accessed 4 March 2026.
Jain L et al. Exploring problematic TikTok use and mental health issues: A systematic review of empirical studies. J Prim Care Community Health. 2025;DOI:10.1177/21501319251327303.
Featured image: Ascannio on Adobe Stock
