Understanding problematic TikTok use: A systematic review of emerging diagnostic and therapeutic implications in clinical psychology

TikTok's rapid rise has spurred concerns about its potential to cause problematic use behaviors, which some consider akin to addiction. This systematic review seeks to understand the diagnostic and therapeutic implications of TikTok use within the scope of clinical psychology. From September 15, 2023 to March 30, 2024 a systematic review was conducted to investigate whether this new pathological condition can be recognized as a behavioral addiction. We searched the following databases for relevant studies: PubMed, National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), PsycINFO, MDPI, Frontiers in Psychology, ScienceDirect, and ReserchGate. We identified a total of 294 unique articles. 45 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility and only 21 of these met the eligibility criteria and were included in the final systematic review. We identified factors like salience, craving, and abstinence related to problematic TikTok use, confirming its potential risk as a behavioral addiction. Currently, there are neither established guidelines, nor an acceptable number of clinical cases, to determine the inclusion of TikTok addiction within an official classification. Additional considerations include the assessed target population, geographical differences, and the lack of specific treatments or interventions. Our study confirms that problematic TikTok use must be considered an addiction both for the considerable risk it entails and for its developmental trajectory. Through the analysis of the included studies, we confirmed elevated levels of salience, abstinence, tolerance, craving, excessive use, desire to control consumption, and alterations in daily life habits associated with problematic TikTok use.