A study by Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) and the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) reveals that girls who use Instagram and TikTok regard the impact of these social media on their psychological well-being more negatively than boys. Among the possible causes, the research indicates that girls make more intensive use of social media and feel more observed and pressured by the image and physical appearance they present on these networks, as well as needing more external approval.

The research analyses young people's perceptions of the impact of social media on many other aspects of their social life – such as sense of belonging or the ability to express themselves as they are. This is the first quantitative study dedicated to the perception that Spanish teenagers have of the impact of these social media on so many dimensions of their social life.

A recent article in the scientific journal Revista De Comunicación, published in open access, presents the results of this research, led by Mònika Jiménez, from the UPF, and Mireia Montaña, from the UOC, who are the principal investigators. Both Jiménez and the lead author of the article, Clara Virós, are researchers in the Communication, Advertising and Society (CAS) group in the UPF Department of Communication. Montaña is a member of the Learning, Media and Entertainment (GAME) research group in the UOC's Faculty of Information and Communication Sciences.

The study is based on a survey of a representative sample of 1,043 Spanish adolescents aged 12 to 18 (50.5% girls and 49.5% boys) of whom 70.7% are TikTok users and 63.8% are Instagram users. Respondents assessed the impact of social media on nine aspects of their social life, rating it from 1 (the most negative) to 5 (the most positive). Overall, the most highly rated items are as follows: the capacity for collective organization (3.52), sense of belonging to a group (3.51) and the possibility of expressing themselves as they are (3.48). There are no significant differences by gender in any of the dimensions of the study, except psychological well-being.


Lower scores for social media for communicating with adults

The items scoring lowest among both boys and girls are psychological well-being and communication with the adults who are closest to them (3.06 in both cases). In the case of psychological well-being, girls score this aspect 2.99, compared to 3.13 for boys. The other dimensions assessed are the ability to argue and discuss, socialization among peers, acceptance of established norms, and decision-making and social autonomy.

In general terms, the study indicates that young people consider that the use of these social media has a neutral impact on their lives, the negative effects being offset by the positive ones. The scores of all the dimensions are, accordingly, above 2.5. Young people even indicate certain positive effects of the use of social media on their psychological well-being. For example, they appreciate the fact that they provide connection, support and spaces for discussion with people in similar situations.

Another conclusion of the study is that young people perceive the impact of these two social media on their social lives more positively if they are users than if they are not. Among Instagram users, the ability to organize collectively and the sense of belonging to a group are the dimensions most highly rated, with a score of 3.55.


TikTok's algorithm reinforces traditional gender roles

One of the three aspects most valued by young TikTok users is the possibility of being and expressing themselves as they are (3.54). This could indicate that there is still a certain lack of understanding among young people about how this network's algorithm works in terms of its ability to offer personalized content. However, the research also reveals that young people have found new ways to socialize on TikTok, although this network, unlike Instagram, is not designed for social interaction.

What young TikTok users value most is that interaction with others makes it easier for them to understand and accept social norms and conventions (3.56). But the study warns that this trend detracts from teenagers' critical capacity regarding established social traditions, for example with respect to gender roles. The researchers warn of the gender bias of TikTok content, such as the suggestions on the For you page, which have significant effects on teenagers.

According to Mònika Jiménez, "The fashion and beauty content that the algorithm offers to girls by default has a clear impact on their body image and self-esteem. In the case of boys, the fact that the suggested content is closely related to sport and competitive games, with behaviour that's often aggressive, reinforces the idea of the dominant male associated with toxic masculinity, with little room to show his emotions."

For Mireia Montaña, "Teenage girls have a more critical and often more negative perception of the impact of social media on their well-being, possibly because they're exposed to them more intensely and feel more pressure regarding appearance and external approval. This points to an urgent need to strengthen their emotional education and encourage them to look more critically at social media."

However, Montaña pointed out that boys and girls are not passive consumers of social media: "The study shows that they have a fairly accurate perception of the effects that social media have on their social and emotional lives, although there's still room to work on their critical capacity, especially with regard to the TikTok algorithm." In the same vein, Jiménez concluded that "To date there aren't any studies that determine the extent to which teenagers have the tools to grasp and deal with the consequences of the algorithmic dictatorship, so we need to find out what their real capacity to do so is and, from there, decide on the tools they need."