A systematic review: the influence of TikTok contents and its effects towards mental health among youth in Malaysia

This systematic review synthesized evidence on the influence of TikTok contents and its effects towards mental health among youth in Malaysia. TikTok is a global sensation and has over 1 billion users and dominates youth culture. As TikTok gains more acceptance among youth, there is growing concern among parents, policymakers, and clinicians about the actual impact the platform is having on the mental health of youth. Growing research has found the more time a person spends on social media, the more likely they will experience mental health symptoms such as anxiety, isolation, and hopelessness [1]. This study employs Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), based on papers in the Google Scholar database. A search of the Google Scholar database reaped five eligible studies. This paper includes research papers from 2018 to 2022, including keywords ‘mental health’ and ‘TikTok contents and ‘Malaysia’ and ‘youth’. Findings included factors that affect youth’s mental health in Malaysia. Due to methodological constraints in cross-sectional design, sampling, and measures, there are significant constraints in the findings. The interest shown by young adults towards TikTok content and mental health is often discussed. The topic should be measured more through qualitative enquiries, explored further in various age groups and variables related to the effect TikTok contents have towards mental health.