Abstract
This essay explores how the application TikTok, a short form video social media site, negatively effects the growth of a young girls identity. It will argue that trends and challenges, the use of beauty filters and the personalised content created by the algorithm significantly contribute to the formation of unrealistic self-image and identity challenges in adolescent girls. The approach, which concentrates on identity development throughout adolescence, is framed through a societal and psychological perspective. The evidence in this work is found through scholarly source and case study’s that investigate the effect TikTok is having on its young users. According to research, TikTok encourages participation in hypersexualized challenges, promotes unrealistic beauty ideals through filters and isolates users within content “echo chambers” that reinforce limited room for identity exploration. While some may argue that TikTok empowers youth through creative expression and online communities, this paper concludes that its influence on adolescent girls is predominantly harmful, shaping identity around external validation and unrealistic standards rather than authentic self-exploration.
Introduction
Adolescence is a critical developmental stage during which significant changes in identity formation, physical, social, cognitive, and emotional domains take place (Papageorgiou et al., 2022). The app TikTok rose to popularity in September of 2016 and is an application that users can share, create, and collaborate with short video clips. In present time, 85% of TikTok users are between 13-24 years old (Avilés & Peralta, 2020). While content on TikTok is light-hearted and centred around comedy, the app’s features can invoke negative effects on young girls that are beginning to form their identity. Adolescent girls appear more vulnerable to experiencing mental health difficulties from social media use than boys (Papageorgiou et al., 2022) and TikTok’s ability to curate content via its algorithm-based media is a major concern to these young girls. TikTok influencers create and participate in trends and challenges, of which are usually sexualized content and the apps participatory culture influence young girls to take part and make their own mature videos. TikTok also allows for users to apply filters and beauty effects that allow for an unhealthy comparison in growing girls. Finally, TikTok uses algorithm-based content and once a young girl has been flagged as enjoying beauty or fitness like content, it can isolate girls into one group and limit the broad content to help form their full identity. In the age of social media, and users getting younger and younger, the idea of forming an identity as a young person is heavily influenced by social media and specifically the features on the TikTok app. TikTok helps shape a user’s identity in a negative way and it is important to explore how it is successful in doing so.
Trends and Challenges
The algorithm-driven social media site TikTok promotes involvement in challenges and viral trends, many of which are started or made famous by influencers. These trends can encourage creativity and community involvement, but some of them may reinforce gender stereotypes and encourage hyper sexualization, which is especially harmful to young girls that are beginning to develop their identity as a woman (Soriano-Ayala et al., 2022). Young users are under pressure to engage in dance challenges as they view these trends as a way to get involved in online cliques that are usually centred around adult content creators. There is also a strong participatory culture on TikTok, if one user is doing it, there is a strong possibility other users will follow along too.
The dances featured on TikTok usually entail controversial actions or lyrics, causes a young audience that participates to appear to be more mature than is necessary at their age (Suárez-Álvarez et al., 2023). Ackerman (2018) explores the idea that feeling self-worth and respectability is unaffected by accomplishments or approval from others and this contrasts the validation that participating in TikTok trends provides to young users. According to research done by Uhls (2017), the sexualization of young girls in digital spaces is linked to body image and self-worth concerns in young users as they begin to develop their identity. The process of forming their identity is affected by TikTok trends as young girls begin to prioritize their ability to perform in overly sexualised trends. The importance of developing an identity at the ages of 13-17 is astronomical and as young girls participate in trends, this development is clouded by online pressures and mature focuses (Pfeifer & Berkman, 2018). TikTok’s focus and ability to make mature tends popular, through its algorithm, is having a substantial impact on the values of young girls and their ability to define their self-worth. Young girls’ identity is being formed through their online presence and participation in TikTok trends and challenges.
Beauty Effects and Filters
Young girls’ self-perception and identity development are greatly impacted by filters and beauty effects on the app TikTok. The majority of TikTok filters are what are referred to as “beauty filters,” which are photo-editing tools that alter a user’s appearance, typically to make it more in accordance with social norms of smooth out skin, accentuate lips and eyes, shaped noses, accentuate cheekbones and jawlines, and so forth (Xu et al., 2023). These TikTok beauty filters are quite popular with younger audiences and a users’ dissatisfaction with their looks can be linked to the use of these filters (Xu et al., 2023). Since adolescence is a crucial time for identity formation and the development of one’s self-image, if the issue of look dissatisfaction arises in a young girl, it can be incredibly harmful (Steiner-Adair & Barker, 2013).
Some more issues that stem from the use of filters on TikTok are body dysmorphia and unrealistic expectations of physical transformation. Body dysmorphic disorder is a psychiatric condition that effects how one views themselves and adolescences are primarily affected. This body dysmorphia is created in a young girl’s mind through the unrealistic idea of what they should look like. This physical picture young girls idolize is based on edited photos and use of filters by people, usually influencers, which young girls look up to on TikTok (Sadati & Radanfar, 2022). Additionally, the idea of a “glow-up” became popular on TikTok and entails a before and after like video where one enhances their physical appears through time. The concept of self-improvement becomes toxic as one uses filters to enhance a development image (Herman et al., 2024). The issue that young girls face is that the lines between natural and edited appearances online is often blurred, and they can struggle to distinguish what is normal for their age and personal physique. TikTok reinforces beauty standards through filters and as a young girl is developing their identity, they can become confused between what is real and what is a filter which causes a warped idea of what they should look like.
The Algorithm
The application TikTok uses a recommendation system called the algorithm to curate content for its users. Young girls’ identities are greatly influenced by the TikTok algorithm by recommending material that supports specific community norms and values, such as those seen in speciality groups like #FitnessTok or #BeautyTok (Ionescu & Licu, 2023). The algorithm works by utilizing user interactions with likes, comments, following and shares to understand what the user relates and aligns with and will then continue to push content in those categories (Smith, 2021). When areas of interest are identified it often leads to what is called an echo chamber, which is where individuals are constantly exposed to information that supports their own beliefs or interests (Turner, 2023).
Young girls are continuously exposed to idealised depictions of lifestyle, fitness, and beauty, and this can have a significant impact on their sense of self. These carefully chosen and filtered videos may lead to a limited, uniform perception of what is considered acceptable or desirable. Diverse representations of identity may be obscured by the algorithm’s likelihood to highlight information from particular communities, such as those focused on fitness or beauty. Content that promotes unrealistic body standards or overly idealised notions of beauty may attract young girls, which could lead to anxiety by performing comparisons and frustration with their own physical attributes (Fardouly et al., 2015). The extent of identity exploration for young girls is limited since TikTok creates these echo chambers that hide information that does not fit with a user’s interests or preferences and in turn, limits exposure to other body shapes, lifestyles, or self-representations. This lack of diversity can worsen conditions like anxiety and body image dissatisfaction and limit the development of a well-rounded identity (Tiggemann & Slater, 2013). TikTok’s accurate algorithm is contributing to a young girl’s understanding of their own identity in a negative way by limiting them to certain communities and then holding them captive to that specific content, limiting their ability to explore other areas of interest.
Counter Argument
Whilst TikTok’s impact on young girls’ identity is argued as negative, there are reasons to continue to allow them to use the app. The algorithm certainly curates’ content that can reinforce unrealistic body image and beauty ideas, the app can also allow for users to express their creativity, build a community, and access information.
There are many features of a TikTok video, including sounds, editing, hashtags and effects. This allows for limitless creativity in videos that are being created. The results of a study by Alba González Moreno and Mar (2023) found a positive connection between creativity and self-esteem. They share how “scientific literature on creativity focused on the adolescent stage is scarce” (Alba González Moreno and Mar, 2023, p. 1) and this shares how creativity is not encouraged or focused upon enough in adolescents. TikTok’s ability to allow users to create videos bridges this gap and has a positive effect on one’s creative expression.
Being a part of a community is vital to mental health in young people (World Health Organization, 2024). TikTok has many niche communities, for example #BookTok or #TravelTok. The power TikTok holds in the ability to create community’s is great as society’s interactions are largely online (Hacking, 2023). Being a part of a community can strengthen a young girl’s identity as it provides them with purpose (Kastenhofer & Molyneux-Hodgson, 2021). On TikTok, it is easy to harness the algorithm and become a part of a community of interest and for young girls this provides a safe space and motivation outside of the online world.
Young people use TikTok as a way to gain information and this is allowing for them to have a broad perspective of the world as the results shown are real life people experiencing or recommending information. An example of this is outlined by an article by the New York Times. The article shares how a student typed “teacher letter of recommendation” into the search bar of TikTok and was met with advice of how to ask from real life teachers and the process of writing one correctly (Huang, 2022). This can empower young girls to trust people and further develop their identity by understanding concepts through real life experiences and examples.
Conclusion
The application TikTok and its complex algorithm is having a large effect on the formation of identity in young girls. The way TikTok is doing so is by introducing oversexualized trends and challenges to young girls and allowing for a participatory pressure to be present the app. Secondly, TikTok allows users to have access to beauty effects and filters. Finally, TikTok uses intricate and accurate algorithms to curate content and push users into specific groups. These 3 points have a profound effect on the development of a young girl’s identity as they cloud their ability to see what is real and acceptable for their age. It has been explored that TikTok can promote creativity and community, but the cost of being online at young ages and the effect this is having on their individuality and identity formation must be considered. The way TikTok allows for young users to interact with the features of the app is discouraging creative expression and becomes an avenue for conformity and manufactured identity.
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