Sure, the Megan Knees Challenge might leave you with some lingering leg soreness, but most TikTok content is pretty harmless. What worries some mental health experts are the subtle effects the video app can have even after young people put away their phones. A Wall Street Journal story suggests that it makes not only challenges and dances go viral — but also behaviors typically associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. On Tuesday, the outlet reported that doctors have noticed an increase in teenage girls reaching out about twitching movements and vocal outbursts, known as tics. Most of them had watched TikToks of influencers who they said have Tourette syndrome, a nervous system disorder in which tics are the primary symptoms.
This rise seems to coincide with the start of the pandemic. The Wall Street Journal cited statistics from pediatric movement disorder centers around the country, including the Hopkins University Tourette’s Center, where 10% to 20% of pediatric patients reported acute tic-like behaviors, compared to only 2% to 3% a year prior to the pandemic.
