{"title":"Is using TikTok stressful? Exploring the longitudinal relationships between adolescents' self-concept clarity and digital stress","authors":"Daria Dodan, Oana Negru-Subtirica","doi":"10.1111/jora.70011","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>TikTok is a pervasive and controversial social media platform with a sizeable adolescent following. Using a two-wave longitudinal design spaced 3 months apart during the academic year (<i>N</i> = 328, 60.4% male, <i>M</i><sub>age</sub> = 16.99), we investigated how adolescents' self-concept clarity relates to approval anxiety, fear of missing out, and online vigilance as possible stressors experienced on TikTok. Results showed a negative bidirectional link between self-concept clarity and approval anxiety. We also found a negative unidirectional longitudinal association between self-concept clarity and fear of missing out (FoMO) and online vigilance, respectively. Last, we found that approval anxiety longitudinally fosters fear of missing out. These findings suggest that adolescents holding uncertain self-views are more likely to perceive TikTok as a stressful environment and that experiencing approval anxiety might be especially harmful for them.</p>","PeriodicalId":17026,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Research on Adolescence","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Research on Adolescence","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jora.70011","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"FAMILY STUDIES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
TikTok is a pervasive and controversial social media platform with a sizeable adolescent following. Using a two-wave longitudinal design spaced 3 months apart during the academic year (N = 328, 60.4% male, Mage = 16.99), we investigated how adolescents' self-concept clarity relates to approval anxiety, fear of missing out, and online vigilance as possible stressors experienced on TikTok. Results showed a negative bidirectional link between self-concept clarity and approval anxiety. We also found a negative unidirectional longitudinal association between self-concept clarity and fear of missing out (FoMO) and online vigilance, respectively. Last, we found that approval anxiety longitudinally fosters fear of missing out. These findings suggest that adolescents holding uncertain self-views are more likely to perceive TikTok as a stressful environment and that experiencing approval anxiety might be especially harmful for them.
期刊介绍:
Multidisciplinary and international in scope, the Journal of Research on Adolescence (JRA) significantly advances knowledge in the field of adolescent research. Employing a diverse array of methodologies, this compelling journal publishes original research and integrative reviews of the highest level of scholarship. Featured studies include both quantitative and qualitative methodologies applied to cognitive, physical, emotional, and social development and behavior. Articles pertinent to the variety of developmental patterns inherent throughout adolescence are featured, including cross-national and cross-cultural studies. Attention is given to normative patterns of behavior as well as individual differences rooted in personal or social and cultural factors.