TikTok's Mental Health: How TikTok is rewriting the narrative for Women

Randi: 0:14

Welcome back to the Women's Mental Health Podcast. We're Randi and Jess. We are two licensed psychotherapists, and we talk about mental health, well-being, self-care, and strategies for coping with life's challenges.

Jess: 0:27

And how it's all normal and you're not alone.

Randi: 0:30

In today's episode, we're exploring a trend that has a significant impact on mental health. TikTok. We'll discuss how this works. I'm thinking of all the TikTok dances like my daughter used to do. I need to do the gritty. Okay. Anyway, we're going to discuss how this social platform has changed the landscape of mental health conversations, providing both opportunities and challenges and a lot of disinformation, but also good information for women like us. Find us

Jess: 1:00

and more resources on womensmentalhealthpodcast.com. Have you ever had these thoughts? How has TikTok contributed to mental health awareness?

Randi: 1:09

What resources are available on TikTok to support mental health?

Jess: 1:13

Are there actual mental health professionals on TikTok?

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Can TikTok be a source of inspiration and motivation?

Jess: 1:21

Are there any potential negative impacts of TikTok on mental health? How

Randi: 1:25

has TikTok created a supportive community around mental health?

Jess: 1:29

Are there TikTok accounts specifically dedicated to mental health content?

Randi: 1:34

How has TikTok helped reduce the stigma around mental health?

Jess: 1:39

Can we actually believe most of what we hear on TikTok about mental health?

Randi: 1:43

How can we make sure we have a healthy mental health experience while using TikTok?

Jess: 1:50

So let's first, Randi, I guess we don't have to define TikTok but you know, I don't know. Maybe we do. Maybe we do. But let's talk about TikTok because a lot of people either are like, I'm never going to TikTok, I don't know what TikTok is, or oh, I fell down the TikTok rabbit hole.

Randi: 2:05

Yeah, people either love it or hate it. And so it's a popular social media platform known for short video content. And in recent years, it's really become a place for mental health discussions. self care tips, like morning routines, and all sorts of personal stories related to women and mental health. Do you

Jess: 2:27

know how many times in therapy each week I hear, I saw this on Tik Tok? Oh my gosh. I saw this on Tik

Randi: 2:33

Tok. I mean, like. Do you know how many times I hear that in my house?

Jess: 2:36

Well, But I mean for mental health people like me, I saw this on TikTok and I think I want to talk to you about it. That's like when I used to go to my doctor and be like, So WebMD said I had this. Yeah,

Randi: 2:45

it's like Googling, being a Google doctor, is now, you are now a TikTok therapist. Yeah, professional therapist. But it's good because it has really helped women and men openly discuss their struggles with mental health and really share personal stories and seek support. But also we need to be mindful that it's a 30 second or less clip and that's It's just a fraction of a story. So it really has helped transform the way we talk about mental health and share a lot of resources, but also it can do a disservice when you don't have all the information.

Jess: 3:25

it's also a place where people can bravely share whatever there is they're going through. And so you can kind of create this community on Tik Tok. You know, I know I was kind of joking a few minutes ago about my clients say this all the time, but I love it. I love that people are coming to me and saying, hey, I saw this on TikTok. Is this a real thing?

Randi: 3:46

Yeah, because I think it makes you question things, research things, and educate yourself further about it. So it's just like a tipping point off into learning more about things that you might be struggling with or that you want more awareness about.

Jess: 4:02

Our channel has a Tick Tock. Was it a call of channel? I mean, Okay. I'm going to sound really old here because like, so we

Randi: 4:10

do have a Tick Tock. It is women's mental health

Jess: 4:13

podcast. Okay. But that, is it called a channel?

Randi: 4:16

What is it called? No, that would be a YouTube channel. I, I, I don't know

Jess: 4:21

either. Where's your, we have to ask. It's just called a

Randi: 4:24

Tick Tock. A Tick Tock. Oh my God. I don't know a profile. I don't know. Yeah, a bio, a profile, we're aging ourselves. I'll have to ask my teenager. Exactly.

Jess: 4:35

So what has changed with Tik TOK and

Randi: 4:37

mental health? It's so fascinating how social media can evolve and how fast it evolves. So Jess, what have you noticed specifically that has. Occurred in the realm of mental health on tick tock. Oh, besides

Jess: 4:52

the fact that people keep coming to me and saying tick tock said this And I even actually will tell people to get on tick tock and go find something but it really has given a voice to a lot of individuals who previously felt isolated or Stigmatized by their mental health struggles. Especially before like the last four years or so it's making people realize they're not alone, which is what we keep trying to tell people. Yeah,

Randi: 5:18

and which is why we started this podcast, because we wanted women who maybe had a barrier to mental health care, realize that they're not alone. That there are women out there that care. There are therapists out there that care and we wanted to bring free resources and support to everybody and let people know that you are not walking alone with this. So I love that it has given that and served. I want to feel a lot of vulnerable populations that maybe were unheard or unseen before are now getting a voice.

Jess: 5:51

Even the younger generations. we were joking a few minutes ago, we have to go ask our teenagers But they're the ones that are really watching it too. And so it's great because when I can hear my daughter say things like, don't talk about my body or stand up for herself, I know a lot of times. They're learning it on TikTok they're learning it from us too it's being reinforced in a positive

Randi: 6:12

way. Right. So while there can come like a lot of bad with social media and stuff, I feel like we can really dig out a lot of good from it too. So how have we seen TikTok really impact mental health, especially women.

Jess: 6:27

Ooh. Okay. So I really think it is profound the impact it's had, on one hand, TikTok has created a sense of belonging and validation for so many women and young girls who have just. felt alone and isolated. I think it's given them access to a diverse range of perspectives and different coping strategies.

Randi: 6:48

Yeah. And I, love that, especially like after COVID and everything, when I feel like. So many people are feeling isolated that this really helped create that sense of community. And I've seen it a lot too when women or girls struggle with friendships or understanding and they reach out to this community and people let them know, I've been through this, like you're not alone or let's normalize this. And I just. I love that it empowers women and girls like that.

Jess: 7:20

exactly. I love that it does the empowerment. The only thing though is that There can be some downsides such as a lot of women and young girls will compare themselves, and they have these unrealistic standards I think more of that we see on like, say, Instagram where we're showing these beautiful homes and these picture perfect homes, or picture perfect bodies.

Randi: 7:42

Yeah, I feel like that's why TikTok has grown so quickly, is because it's not as unattainable as when we say like Instagram model or Instagram home or Pinterest home. It's more real and raw, but same thing. There's also trolls on the internet. People say mean things. I've had several videos go viral, and I just experience this week where people are attacking me and they don't know my whole story. They don't know my whole background. They see a 30 second clip and they assume, and we all know what they say about assuming it makes you an ASS. So anyways, so just being mindful of those things when being on social media is really important and not you know, thinking that you need to always be like aesthetically pleasing or meet these standards, but really find content that resonates with you and that is real and relatable.

Jess: 8:41

The other thing it's also can be a time suck. Seriously, oh yeah,

Randi: 8:44

rabbit holes all the time. Like I said, how

Jess: 8:47

many times I've been sitting there watching a real or whatever they a tick tock late at night. And the next thing you know, It's three hours later and I'm like, Oh my God, I don't know what just happened. I've got to get off this thing, but we'll just one more.

Randi: 8:58

Yeah. Just one more. Yeah. So it's. It's a way of coping and dissociating, but like sometimes it can get unhealthy, like we said, like we kind of just use it to kind of just get in like this rut, like we're doing, over and over again, you're repeating, you're just watching and flipping and flipping.

Jess: 9:15

Do you remember that baby channel they had a long time ago where they'd have these clips to keep your baby engaged.

Randi: 9:21

Yeah, like baby Einstein, but like now they have Cocoa Melon, which is kind of like that. I

Jess: 9:25

haven't seen it,

Randi: 9:26

but I've heard it. We skipped that because our kids are older, but it's like that same thing. Like, and it's like, just like bright lights and like quick things. And like, especially when you're like ADHD or like neurodivergent, you thrive on that. instant impulse. And so it's important to learn how to cope and do self care around this social media and digital landscape. And so what strategies can our listeners use to navigate TikTok and the impact that it can have on their mental health?

Jess: 9:57

Okay, so you mentioned it a few minutes ago, but one of the most important things is to curate your feed intentionally and that word Intentional is really the key right there, We want you to follow a count that uplift and inspire not things that make you want more or things that are going to make you upset. We want you to be mindful of, of your boundaries. So again, if it's midnight and you're supposed to go to bed, turn off your phone, right? Remember, it's also okay to take a break from tick talk. If you need to prioritize your self care or your sleep, it'll be there tomorrow

Randi: 10:37

for you. Right. And sometimes I love watching like all the self care videos too, but I'm watching them, but I'm not doing it. Oh, God,

Jess: 10:44

that's like the kids watching video games of other kids playing video

Randi: 10:48

games. They don't play them. And it's so weird because the new Five Nights at Freddy movie is coming out. It's a horror video game. Anyways, so like I wanted to play it because I wanted to see what it was all about and my daughter is, is, she's much older. She grew up with this and she's like, I don't like playing it. I just like watching other people play it on YouTube and I'm like, I don't understand that. I wanted to play it. I wanted to experience it. I wanted to know what it was like. I hate jump scares. It freaked me the frick out, but it's like she, me. That's just their generation, but you need to take a step back and experience that because you're missing out on Creating moments with not only yourself, but like your kids and your family When you aren't present and doing those things for yourself Like I would much rather give myself a facial than really like somebody else Like maybe I want to know like how they do something or how they used a product But then I also want to Right. But I also want to experience myself. You're missing out on experiences. So don't forget to limit your screen time and then set boundaries with yourself too. Like, Okay, I love all this, but now let's do it for myself. Or people love cleaning videos, I think because it's like, we hate cleaning, but like, No, no, no.

Jess: 12:04

There's some oddly satisfying stuff watching it. And like, you know, especially when it's like so gross or like, I really liked the power wash ones where you can see the power wash come off. You're like, Oh, Yeah. That looks so

Randi: 12:17

nice. A lot of people, too, love the ASMR. Yes. And it, but like a lot of people love I think the soothing like background noises but it's just important to set boundaries with that so you're not excessively scrolling and compare Pairing yourself to that.

Jess: 12:31

we're laughing cause they're like, yeah, yeah, we'd do the same thing, but another effective coping strategy is really engage with the tick tock community thoughtfully. Don't be a troll don't troll Randy and yell at her for things that you have nothing about, but anyway, but join those conversations. If you feel safe and it's not oversharing, like many ADHD, you can share your experiences or seek support from like minded individuals.

Randi: 12:58

Yeah, you might find like an online BFF that you can talk to about stuff, and that's just a great way to build a network of support and connection. And that can uplift your mental health and your well being.

Jess: 13:10

And if you're still struggling, go see a professional who's going to tell you to do all the things we just told you to do, but go see a professional if you're struggling with your mental health, Go see a therapist or

Randi: 13:21

a counselor. Social media addiction is real so if you really feel like at your, the tipping point and it is affecting your life, like if it's affecting your mental health, if it's affecting your relationship, if it's affecting your ability to do like your daily needs, then you need to talk to somebody.

Jess: 13:40

That's like when you're looking for your phone while you're on it. Oh, I do that

Randi: 13:43

all the time.

Jess: 13:44

You know, You're trying to look something up. You're like, shit, let me find my phone. Oh, wait, I am looking on my phone. I mean, It's become such a part of our life that we get easily addicted to our phones and our screens. So it's important to remember that while tick tock does have its benefits, it's essential to prioritize our mental health above everything else.

Randi: 14:04

Take steps to practice self compassion, setting healthy boundaries and seeking professional help when needed are all essential. elements of self care. And as always, we encourage our listeners to reach out with any questions or share your own experiences with us. This podcast is all about fostering a sense of community and shared experiences. It's

Jess: 14:27

through open dialogue and support that we can break the stigma surrounding mental health. Together we are stronger. And this is why tech talk and mental health has really just opened up so much for people.

Randi: 14:41

Until then, take care and remember to be mindful of your digital wellbeing and find us on TikTok at women's mental health podcast.

Jess: 14:50

And speaking of digital wellbeing, you can also listen to previous podcasts that we have actually done on digital wellbeing for yourself and digital wellbeing for your children. Take a listen.