Rich in energy, creative, and earning substantial income, many teenage TikTokers face mental pressure and risks of mental health issues.
Morgan McGuire’s choice of university was largely influenced by what she saw on TikTok. As an influencer, she wanted to attend a school with a beautiful campus, exciting events, and weekly games to capture in her short videos. For nearly two years, posting content on TikTok has become McGuire’s job. The 18-year-old student has amassed 750,000 followers on her account.
McGuire is one of many high school students who have gained fame through content creation. This job is almost a “dream” for a student, accompanied by many perks from brands and lucrative advertising contracts. McGuire started to gain attention with a video on self-tanning. From that opportunity, she began studying TikTok’s algorithm to optimize her content’s reach. Two years after her first video, Morgan earned $81,000 from brand collaborations and the platform’s Creator Fund. This money was accumulated for her college education.
“At first, I thought this was unbelievable, but it happened,” McGuire said.
There are no accurate studies on the number of influencers like Morgan. However, fame on TikTok has become a “rosy” development path for many students.
Teen content creators have a massive following, as this age group is also the most active on the platform. According to a Pew Research study in 2023, TikTok is the second most popular app among teenagers aged 13-17. One in five teens uses TikTok “almost constantly.” They enjoy following peers like Morgan, who are living an “ideal” life.
But what happens behind the scenes?
In reality, balancing school and being a content creator is challenging. Morgan often wakes up early to film “Get ready with me” clips and stays up late planning content and editing videos.
“I prioritize that over sleep. It negatively affects the next day when I’m at school. But I can’t stop because I feel I enjoy content creation more,” Morgan said.
Besides her academic performance, her TikTok fame also impacts her personal life. Morgan has little time for dating, and many boys feel shy around a social media celebrity.
The impact of platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube on teenagers’ mental health has been widely researched recently, with concerning results.
According to an analysis, spending three hours a day on social media can increase the risk of mental disorders. Experts worry that the TikTok algorithm, in particular, contributes to mental health crises among teenage users.
However, there is currently little research on the effects of social media fame on health. In 2022, the Washington Post interviewed dozens of TikTokers, mostly in their 20s and 30s, about the dangers of rapidly gained fame. They described feelings of “being overwhelmed by the hate or malicious criticism in the comments.”
“The phrase people often use is ‘falling into the dark side of TikTok.’ But what happens when the dark side of TikTok consists entirely of your friends at school?” Casey Fiesler, an associate professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, said.
Some high school students struggle to balance being influencers on TikTok and their school lives. (Photo: Teen Vogue).
Jaydan Berry, 18, has 182,000 followers. She stated that sharing her life on the platform “is satisfying but does not help with high school.” At school, she is mocked and teased because of her own videos.
“I think they are jealous. In this generation, many want to be famous online. So when someone shines, they receive envy,” Jaydan said.
She shares stories about her journey as a Christian teenager, including simple experiences like a school day and even the fatigue from her menstrual cycle. Along with that, she receives sponsorship money and a supportive community.
No matter how hard they work, young TikTok creators endure online hate and can be hurt by malicious comments. Tyjai Jackson, 18, with 75,000 followers, noted that fans sometimes create insecurities she had never experienced before.
“People often judge small things, how you speak, your makeup, or what you wear. It’s really stressful,” she said.
Dr. Jessi Gold, a psychiatrist and author of How Do You Feel, is concerned that teenagers may suffer damage to their self-esteem from these negative comments. They gradually want to change themselves to fit societal tastes. The image they portray online is sometimes vastly different from their real-life selves. In the long term, they struggle to balance these two identities.
The school life portrayed in videos by teen influencers is also very different from reality. Peyton Mikolayek, 18, now a freshman at Johns Hopkins University, appears to have had a dream high school experience at first glance on TikTok.
In her millions of views videos, she shines bright while painting parking spots and preparing for prom. But in reality, her experience is far from glamorous. Her videos are sometimes circulated by schoolmates in group chats to mock her.
“Becoming an influencer made my high school experience more difficult, but honestly, without it, I don’t know how I would have survived those three years,” she said.
By the time she was a senior, she was paid up to $7,000 for a single post. Max Elk, a KOL manager at Grail Talent, mentioned that the money high school students earn on TikTok is “quite astonishing.” They have what brands want: a platform with thousands, sometimes millions, of views.
According to ZipRecruiter, the average annual salary for a TikTok influencer is over $130,000, depending on their follower count. Some secure “lucrative” contracts and profit from brands, while others gain wealth through affiliate marketing. They can also receive funds from the TikTok Creator Fund based on certain criteria.
Under Peyton’s video comments, many young people inquire about how to gain fame.
“Be aware of what you’re getting into,” Peyton advises.
She stated that she would still choose TikTok but believes that anyone wanting to pursue this path should prepare for harsh criticisms that may affect their mental health.
