Social media use has been found to be associated with appearance concerns, low mood, and increased appearance comparisons among women. One possible explanation for these findings could be the consumption of thinspiration content, media that focused on thinness and subsequent upward social comparisons. The aim of the present study was to experimentally examine the effect of thinspiration content from TikTok on state-level appearance comparison, appearance concerns, sadness, overvaluation of appearance, and urge to check/camouflage/seek reassurance about appearance. Participants (N = 111) were randomly presented 5-minute compilations of thinspiration videos or animal videos from TikTok and answered state-level measures following each video set. We found that, compared with the animal videos, the thinspiration videos led to greater appearance comparisons, appearance concerns, overvaluation of appearance, urge to use a safety behavior, and sadness. Overall, this study provides novel evidence supporting the role of thinspiration content viewed on TikTok on appearance concerns and related symptoms.
This study examined the interplay between anxiety, depression, rumination, and problematic internet use (PIU) among 24,470 Chinese adolescents (mean age = 14.37 years; 51.60 percent male), with particular attention to socioeconomic status (SES) variations. Using data from June to August 2024 across three Chinese regions, researchers employed standardized measures including the Children's Depression Inventory, Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children, Ruminative Response Scale, and Internet Addiction Test. Regularized partial correlation network analysis revealed symptom rumination and social anxiety as both core and bridging symptoms within the network structure. The overall network strength differed significantly between SES groups (high SES = 8.476 vs low SES = 8.683). Low-SES adolescents exhibited higher centrality in low self-esteem, while high-SES adolescents demonstrated higher centrality in time management and performance difficulties. Symptom rumination and social anxiety exhibited the highest strength and bridge centrality in the overall network, highlighting their key roles in linking psychological issues with PIU. SES-related network differences highlight how socioeconomic context may be associated with different psychological pathways to PIU. These findings inform a more nuanced and context-sensitive understanding of PIU etiology. However, given the limitations of the SES measure used in this study, including reliance on a single subjective item and dichotomized grouping, these observations should be interpreted with caution.
As the second most frequently visited website globally, YouTube attracts numerous people who spend significant amounts of time on the platform, potentially leading to problematic consequences. To investigate the underlying mechanism of problematic video-based social media use, the present study translated and culturally adapted the YouTube Addiction Scale (YAS) into two Chinese versions for people in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Psychometric properties and measurement invariance across regions (Taiwan and Hong Kong) and sex (male and female) were further validated. Participants from Taiwan (N = 887) and Hong Kong (N = 1,008) completed an online survey comprising the YAS, Assessment of Criteria for Specific Internet-use Disorders (ACSID-11), and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) between September 2023 and June 2024. The results supported adequate concurrent validity of YAS with the ACSID-11 and BSMAS. A robust single-factorial structure with strong factor loadings and good internal consistency was observed among the two Chinese versions. Measurement invariance across regional and sex groups was also supported by all fit indices. Accordingly, the current findings suggest that the YAS can be used as a validated instrument to assess individuals' problematic YouTube use in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Future studies may investigate the psychosocial influences of problematic use of video-based social media platforms or use the scale in studies of active and passive use of social media.

