Problematic TikTok use correlates with social anxiety and daily cognitive errors
A new study published in Addictive Behaviors Reports suggests that the anxiety of missing out on social events can fuel addictive behaviors on TikTok, which in turn leads to everyday memory and attention lapses. The researchers found that excessive use of the popular short video app acts as a bridge between underlying social anxieties and a person’s tendency to forget appointments or lose focus during daily tasks. These results highlight how the specific design of modern social media platforms might influence human brain function. Yao Wang, a researcher at the Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences at the University of Macau, led the investigation alongside colleagues from Germany and China. The research team set out to understand how particular psychological states push people toward excessive app usage. They wanted to see if these digital habits ultimately spill over into the physical world. The researchers focused heavily on a psychological concept known as the fear of missing out. This concept describes the persistent worry that others are having rewarding experiences without you. This feeling drives a …
