What does TikTok have to do with it? Experiences of Young Adults with Social Media and Life Satisfaction: A Qualitative Analysis of Influences

Authors

  • Janet Espinoza Social of Social Work, New Mexico State University, USA
  • Arthalia Weekes School of Social Work, Our Lady of the Lake University, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24297/jssr.v20i.9621

Keywords:

TikTok, Self-Actualization, Life Satisfaction, Young adults

Abstract

     

This qualitative study investigates the impact of TikTok usage on the life satisfaction and its contribution towards self-actualization of young adults aged 18-25. Adopting a phenomenological approach, the research explores the experiences and perceptions of TikTok engagement and its relation to the life satisfaction of five young adults. Six main themes emerged for the analysis: 1) Love & Belonging, 2) Influence, 3) Life Satisfaction, 4) Self-Esteem and Identify, 5) Mood, and 6) Risks and Challenges. These findings uncover various aspects of TikTok use, such as content consumption patterns and emotional responses, offering insights into the nuanced ways TikTok influences young adults' perceptions of their lives and contribute to a deeper understanding of the relationship between the platform engagement and life satisfaction. Furthermore, this research underscores the importance of social workers' role in advocating for ethical social media practices and clinical interventions tailored to address the impacts of social media on the overall wellbeing of young adults. 

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Cherry, K. (2024). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-maslows-hierarchy-of-needs-4136760

Choi, S., & Kim, E.-M. (2020). Between Instagram browsing and subjective well-being: Social comparison or emotional contagion? Media Psychology, 24, 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2020.1824120

Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.

Cypress, B. (2017). Rigor or reliability and validity in qualitative research: Perspectives, Strategies, Reconceptualization, and Recommendations. Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1097/DCC.0000000000000253

Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). Satisfaction with life scale. Journal of personality assessment, 49(1), 71–75. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13

Duke, B. J. (2021). Emerging adults’ perception of the role of social media in life satisfaction: A case study. Capella University. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. https://www.proquest.com/openview/49a017c16869ae6879ff43cdb8f7e3fc/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y

Foroughi, B., Griffiths, M., Iranmanesh, M., & Salamzadeh, Y. (2021). Associations between Instagram addiction, academic performance, social anxiety, depression, and life satisfaction among university students. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 20, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-021-00510-5

Gottfried, J. (2024). Americans' social media use in YouTube and Facebook are by far the most used online platforms among U.S. adults; TikTok's user base has grown since 2021. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/01/31/americans-social-media-use/

Gottfried, J. (2024, January 31). Americans’ social media use. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/01/31/americans-social-media-use/

Houghton, D., Pressey, A., & Istanbulluoglu, D. (2020). Who needs social networking? An empirical enquiry into the capability of Facebook to meet human needs and satisfaction with life. Computers in Human Behavior, 104, 106153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.09.029

Huang, L., Zheng, D., & Fan, W. (2021). Do social networking sites promote life satisfaction? The explanation from an online and offline social capital transformation. Information Technology & People, ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-03-2020-0143

Iqbal, M. (2023). TikTok revenue and usage statistics (2023). Business of Apps. https://www.businessofapps.com/data/tik-tok-statistics/

Kircaburun, K., & Griffiths, M. (2018). Instagram addiction and the big five of personality: The mediating role of self-liking. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 7(1), 158–170. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.7.2018.15

Lumivero. (2023). Thematic analysis of interview data with NVivo. https://lumivero.com/resources/blog/thematic-analysis-of-interview-data-nvivo/

Lumivero. (2023). NVivo. Retrieved from https://lumivero.com/products/nvivo/

Maryville University. (2020). The evolution of social media: How did it begin and where could it go next? Maryville Online. https://online.maryville.edu/blog/evolution-social-media/

Masciantonio, A., Bourguignon, D., Bouchat, P., Balty, M., & Rimé, B. (2021). Don’t put all social network sites in one basket: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and their relations with well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. PLOS ONE, 16, e0248384. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248384

Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldana, J. (2020). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (4th edition). Sage Publications ISBN: 978-1-5063-5307-4

Nobel, H., & Smith, J. (2015). Issues of validity and reliability in qualitative research. Evidence Based Nursing, 18(2). https://doi.org/10.1136/eb-2015-102054

Orben, A., Dienlin, T., & Przybylski, A. (2019). Social media’s enduring effect on adolescent life satisfaction. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116, 201902058. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1902058116

Ortiz-Ospina, E. (2019). The rise of social media. https://ourworldindata.org/rise-of-social-media

Pang, H. (2020). Examining associations between university students' mobile social media use, online self-presentation, social support, and sense of belonging. Aslib Journal of Information Management, 72(3), 321-338. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJIM-08-2019-0202

Peterka-Bonetta, J., Sindermann, C., Elhai, J. D., & Montag, C. (2019). Personality associations with smartphone and internet use disorder: A comparison study including links to impulsivity and social anxiety. Frontiers in public health, 7, 127. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00127

Sha, P., Sariyska, R., Riedl, R., Lachmann, B., & Montag, C. (2019). Linking internet communication and smartphone use disorder by taking a closer look at the Facebook and WhatsApp applications. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 9, 100148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2018.100148

Stevic, A. (2024). Under pressure? Longitudinal relationships between different types of social media use, digital pressure, and life satisfaction. Social Media + Society, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051241239282

Uram, P., & Skalski, S. (2022). Still logged in? The link between Facebook addiction, FoMO, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and loneliness in social media users. Psychological Reports, 125(1), 218-231. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294120980970

Yang, Y., & Zilberg, I. E. (2020). Understanding young adults' TikTok usage. Dostupno na.

Downloads

Published

2024-06-03

How to Cite

Espinoza, J., & Weekes, A. (2024). What does TikTok have to do with it? Experiences of Young Adults with Social Media and Life Satisfaction: A Qualitative Analysis of Influences. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH, 20, 27–37. https://doi.org/10.24297/jssr.v20i.9621

Issue

Vol. 20 (2024)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Janet Espinoza, Arthalia Weekes

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Creative Commons License All articles published in Journal of Advances in Linguistics are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.