DEVELOPING HEALTH COMMUNICATION MEDIA TO COUNTER THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF TIKTOK CONTENT ON ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH

Abstract

The rapid development of social media, especially TikTok, has presented new challenges for adolescent mental health due to exposure to negative content that is provocative, unrealistic, and often age-inappropriate. This study aims to identify strategies for developing effective health communication media to counteract these negative impacts. The method used is a literature review of 10 selected articles from 18,110 relevant articles on Google Scholar, with inclusion criteria including the impact of social media on adolescent mental health and strategies for developing health communication media. The results of the study show that TikTok content can trigger anxiety disorders, depression, and decreased self-esteem in adolescents. To overcome this, contextual, participatory, and user design approach-based communication media are needed. Media that is interactive, visual, and uses storytelling narratives has been shown to be more attractive to adolescents and effective in increasing awareness and mental resilience. The involvement of adolescents in the media design process also strengthens the effectiveness of the health messages conveyed. This study recommends the development of empathetic and emotionally relevant media as a promotive approach in dealing with mental health challenges in the digital era.