abstract – In today’s world, where social media heavily influences self-image, TikTok has become a powerful yet potentially damaging tool on how young people view their bodies. Youth TikTok usage is correlated with an increase in body comparison and dissatisfaction through TikTok-specific affordance applications and psychological frameworks that allow for the mental reinforcement of negative ideas. Addictive algorithm designs and a large youth demographic, allows for harmful filter bubbles promoting and normalising body comparison, eating disorders, and general body dissatisfaction to reach highly susceptible younger audiences. The impact of social media filter bubbles on youth TikTok users are further investigated using supporting psychological theories such as the social comparison theory and cognitive dissonance theory. Because of TikTok’s global nature, all content is instantly shareable and can be interpreted differently across various audiences and contexts. While the platform can significantly contribute to body dissatisfaction among young users, it also has the potential to raise awareness of diverse body norms and foster a sense of community online, especially for those who may feel isolated in their offline environments.

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In an age where social media influences self-image more than ever, TikTok has emerged as a powerful and potentially harmful force in how young people perceive their bodies. Youth TikTok usage is correlated with an increase in body comparison and dissatisfaction through TikTok-specific affordance applications and psychological frameworks that allow for the mental reinforcement of negative ideas. Due to Tiktok’s addictive algorithm design and large youth demographic, there are many users that are susceptible to trends and challenges revolving around appearance. Harmful filter bubbles relating to body comparison, eating disorders, and general body dissatisfaction are prevalent in the app, meaning that there is a likely negative offline behaviour response. Psychological theories such as the social comparison theory (Festinger, 1954) and cognitive dissonance (Festinger, 1957) help illustrate how impactful filter bubbles can be on young people on TikTok. Trends and challenges make up the majority of the viral content shared on TikTok, with different interpretations having an impactful effect on young people and body comparison. Due to the global nature of TikTok, the scale and instant visibility of shared digital content can be received differently by collapsed contexts and unintended audiences. Although TikTok can have substantial negative effects on a young person’s body dissatisfaction, it may also establish and give awareness to other body norms, which can educate and promote feelings of community online where it lacks in offline communities for some individuals. 

What is TikTok?

TikTok is a social media application that grew quickly in popularity in 2018 and during COVID-19 international lockdowns. Though some of its success may be credited to world wide pandemic lockdowns, the short-form media sharing app has 1.5 billion active monthly users over 141 countries (Woodward, 2025). The app originated in China with Douyin and entered the global market in 2017, after merging with Musical.ly. Tiktok’s main form of content is short-form video media, where videos 21-34 seconds in length are typically top performing (Aspire, 2021). Types of content posted on TikTok ranges from “story-times”, and POV style content, to fan edits, lip syncing and dancing. The majority of TikTok’s active users are aged between 10-29 years old, with ages 10-19 making up 25% (Woodward, 2025). 

TikTok’s algorithm, known as a sense-plan-act algorithm (Pellegrino, 2023), utilises artificial intelligence and data tracking to create an optimised and personalized stream of content on the “For You Page” (FYP) with the goal of increasing the amount of engagement with the application. This is done through the analysis of a user’s interests and preferences based on their interactions and viewing habits, including liked and favorited videos, creators they follow, videos they comment on, and how long they spend on each video (Cervi, 2021). This level of data tracking and profiling is designed to addict its users (Pellegrino, 2023). TikTok, like all other social media, contains affordances based on the premises such as persistence, replicability and scalability. 

TikTok’s algorithm, filter bubbbles and cognitive dissonance

The social media affordance of persistence is a major capability of TikTok in the promotion of negative body comparison in young users. The affordance exists in the algorithmic patterns leading to the creation of filter bubbles. A filter bubble can be defined as a “selective recommendation option, which only produces information specifically tailored to users” (Tan & Yoon, 2024). This means TikTok’s use of Artificial Intelligence in algorithm profiling can form negative filter bubbles surrounding body image and comparison by reducing information diversities. Due to the persistence of a exclusive collections of beliefs and/or behaviours (Tan & Yoon, 2024), filter bubbles can promote psychologically and possibly physiologically harmful thought processes and activities to highly impressionable young users of TikTok through the glorification of eating disorders such as “pro-ana” [anorexia] content. Filter bubbles can be particularly detrimental to impressionable youth who are being exposed to topics surrounding their body and appearance for the first time (Bahnweg & Omar, 2023)  This particular affordance is extremely harmful as it creates a digital environment whereby harmful comparisons are made and reinforced through positive feedback loops. The psychological strength of filter bubbles can be further explained through the framework in the cognitive dissonance theory (1957) by American social psychologist, Leon Festinger. His theory that people avoid dissonance, otherwise defined as mental discomfort caused when new information contradicts existing beliefs, norms and behaviours, by selectively choosing content that will support their existing beliefs, norms and behaviours, therefore achieving consonance (Festinger, 1957). An example of the application of this concept in the persistence of TikTok’s negative filter bubbles would be, once a user’s algorithm has created a filter bubble of related, exclusive content, the user is likely to adopt and internalise the beliefs and behaviours of the particular community. Once this occurs, any content that opposes these beliefs, the user will avoid or potentially attempt to justify their viewpoint to outsider communities using TikTok’s various public interactive processes (comment sections, “duets”/”stitches” as response videos) in order to protect their consonance. Within TikTok, as in most other social medias, it is common to see discourse in body/appearance related filter bubbles because there typically is an attached emotional value to their beliefs and actions. 

Image-centred content and social comparison

The persistence of body comparison amongst youth on TikTok, is further reinforced through the consumption of image-centred content. Younger users are particularly influenced because they often idealise themselves to edited images which creates unrealistic comparisons and ultimately leads to body dissatisfaction (Mink & Szymanski, 2022). The social comparison theory (1954) by social psychologist Leon Festinger, is another psychological framework that reinforces the persistence of body comparison through TikTok image-centred algorithm. Festinger’s (1954) theory suggests that individuals will compare themselves to external images in order to evaluate their personal opinions and abilities. These images can be written text descriptions, but are commonly visual models that are idealized and portrayed to be attainable and realistic. With the use of TikTok and other social media, it has been suggested that individuals compare themselves to unrealistic, idealised images of others online as often as they compare themselves to their peers in person (Mink & Szymanski, 2022). This is known as the “upward appearance comparison” whereby individuals will compare themselves to others they deem more attractive than themselves, which leaves them feeling self-deprecated when they compare and evaluate their own social position and appearance. 

Although these filter bubbles are not created specifically to promote harmful content to young consumers, the networked public dynamic present on social media platforms is crucial to consider. Social media and network dynamic affordances such as collapsed contexts and scalability explain how the potential audience for content is far greater in digital spaces than in offline spaces. This means one video/message can reach a multitude of different contexts making it difficult to assess how it will be interpreted. Unintended audiences of digital content may alter the meaning and goal, which can result in controversy and the spread of misinformation, which has the power to damage the content creators reputation but also reach other groups where misinformation can be particularly harmful. 

Mass replicability of content

The social media affordance of replicability also plays a major role in TikTok’s capability to promote body comparison amongst youth.  This is due to popular uses for the application that revolve around copying and redistributing content through the creation of trends and internet challenges. A large amount of TikTok content focuses on fitness challenges, wellness journeys including weight loss, food consumption (or lack thereof), and appearance in general (Bahnweg & Omar, 2023). While these content trends are harmless in nature, particular hashtags may be shared between communities and can lead the AI algorithm to start showing more negatively influential content such as “What I eat in a day” video trends to lead to more unrealistic and unsustainable content like “What I eat in a day: 800 calories”. Although these video concepts seem varsely different, they are both positioned under the internet trend of sharing food habits, which can be particularly troublesome for those already struggling with body image (Bahnweg & Omar, 2023), who will proceed to compare themselves to every video replicating the same concept. Alongside other harmful trends such as the A4 paper trend, where people would compare the width of their waist to the shortest width of the paper, the editing appearance in photos and videos remains prevalent on TikTok. It is suggested to have originated from ideals of perfection, in that people will use editing software to remove any “flaws” and create a “more conventionally-attractive” appearance (Wade & Tiggemann, 2013). The editing of visual content on social media to maintain perfectionist positions has been linked to the cognitive-interpersonal maintaining factors for eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia (Wade and Tiggemann, 2013).    

TikTok to promote positive body image

Although social media affordances can be used to highlight the harmful design of TikTok in influencing body comparison among younger users, it can also be used to highlight the positives. The affordance scalability is highlighted in TikTok’s transnational nature, in that users are able to share and view content from other countries and unique cultures. This may positively impact users, particularly those that are isolated or a minority in their offline community. Young users may also be able to engage with and recognise different body norms, which can positively connect oneself to a community through education and celebration of differences. Filter bubbles can also positively affect TikTok’s engagement through the establishment of communities and positive body messages (Tan & Yoon, 2024). 

In summary, TikTok’s addictive algorithm design and social media affordances combined with a young, impressionable user base, creates a digital environment where harmful body comparison and dissatisfaction are not only prevalent but continually reinforced. The platform’s persistent, replicable and global scale content highlights the susceptibility of young users to internalising unrealistic body ideals and harmful appearance-related norms. While processes are not necessarily the intended outcomes of the platform’s design, the unintended consequences, particularly the creation of negative filter bubbles and viral trends still define many individuals’ experience on the app. Alternatively, TikTok can promote body positivity and connectivity amongst younger users through the establishment of body positive communities.

Referencing (APA 7th)

Aspire. (2021). TikTok 101: everything you need to know about the app taking gen z by storm. 

https://www.aspire.io/blog/tiktok-101-gen-z

Bahnweg, E., & Omar, H. (2023). Effects of TikTik on adolescent mental health and wellbeing. Dynamics of Human Health, 10 (1). https://journalofhealth.co.nz/?page_id=2905

Cervi, L. (2021). Tik Tok and generation Z. Theatre, Dance and Performance Training. 12 (2), 198-204. 

https://doi.org/10.1080/19443927.2021.1915617

Festinger, L. (1957). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Evanston, IL: Row & Peterson.

Festinger, L. (1954). A theory of social comparison processes. Human Relations. 

Mink, D., Szymanski, D. (2022). Tiktok use and body dissatisfaction: examining direct, indirect, and moderated relations. Body Image, 43 (2022), 205-216.

          www.journals.elsevier.com/body-image

Pellegrino, I. (2023). Navigating the algorithmic labyrinth: unraveling the impact of social media algorithms on adolescent minds, School of Communication, University of Hartford. 

Tan, Y., & Yoon, S. (2024). Testing the effects of personalized recommendation service, filter bubble and big data attitude on continued use of TikTok. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics. https://www.emerald.com/insight/1355-5855.htm

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          http://www.jeatdisord.com/content/1/1/2

Woodward, M. (2025). TikTok user statistics 2025: everything you need to know. Search Logistics. 

https://www.searchlogistics.com/learn/statistics/tiktok-user-statistics