ArticleHealth science reports2026
Mediating Effect of Perceived Ageism Experiences Between TikTok Addiction Symptoms and Psychological Distress: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Article in Health science reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background and Aims: TikTok addiction has been linked to depression and anxiety, yet mechanisms underlying this relationship remain underexplored. Based on the Social Comparison and Uses and Gratifications theories, this study examined whether perceived ageism experiences mediate the relationship between TikTok addiction and depression and anxiety among Lebanese adults. The research also explores, as a theoretical possibility, whether TikTok's algorithm may be associated with greater perceived ageism experiences, which in turn would relate to psychological distress. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 855 participants (mean age 24.39; 76.7% females) using the TikTok Addiction Test, WHO Ageism Scale, and PHQ-4. Data were analyzed using SPSS and mediation analysis via PROCESS Macro controlling for demographic and health covariates, such as gender, education level and a history of mental health diagnosis. The mediation analysis included 735 participants with complete data for all variables entered into the model. Results: TikTok addiction was positively associated with psychological distress. Perceived ageism experiences partially mediated this relationship (unstandardized indirect effect: B = 0.0149, BootSE = 0.005, 95% percentile bootstrapped CI [0.0058, 0.0255]). Higher TikTok addiction symptoms were associated with greater perceived ageism experiences, which were in turn associated with higher psychological distress levels. Demographic analysis showed that females, those with lower levels of education and individuals with a history of mental health diagnosis reported higher psychological distress. Age was negatively correlated with psychological distress, showcasing higher vulnerability among younger individuals. Conclusion: Findings highlight perceived ageism experiences as a small but statistically significant mediator between addictive digital media use and psychological distress. The study emphasizes the need for culturally sensitive mental health and digital literacy interventions, as they aim to support the deconstruction of idealized youthful standards, particularly with the Lebanese context where digital media serves as escapism.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.