Poor Emotional Awareness Raises Risk of TikTok Addiction

Difficulty recognizing and processing emotions may be a significant driver of short video addiction among young people. A new study found two distinct psychological factors that influence teens to become vulnerable to compulsive short video use. Both aspects have roots in mental health rather than screen time alone.

Behavioral professionals routinely address emotional regulation and can play a key role in helping those young people affected. If left untreated, teens may become susceptible to co-occurring disorders like substance misuse.

Research Findings

Researchers in China recruited 342 college students between the ages of 18 and 22 and assessed them across several psychological measures, including attachment anxiety, attention regulation and alexithymia. Those with alexithymia have difficulty identifying and describing one’s own emotions or recognizing them in others.

High levels of attachment anxiety increased the chances of developing short video addiction (SVA).  Attachment anxiety is usually shaped by fear of abandonment that’s often rooted in early childhood. The risk of SVA was compounded by two factors: alexithymia and reduced attention spans.

When these emotional and cognitive mechanisms break down, individuals may turn to external regulators, like short videos, to cope with unresolved negative feelings. However, a cycle of dependency on social media may end up accelerating a mental health decline.

The Addiction Connection

This study adds to a growing body of evidence showing that behavioral addictions are rarely about the behavior itself. In this case, compulsive TikTok or short video use on social media functions as an emotional escape to avoid dealing with uncomfortable feelings that a person cannot fully identify or process.

People with severe alexithymia showed significantly higher levels of short video addiction. This suggests that their inability to identify and express emotions may increase reliance on short videos as a coping mechanism.

This dynamic closely mirrors patterns seen in substance use disorders and other co-occurring conditions. When underlying emotional or psychological difficulties like depression go unaddressed, addictive behaviors can take hold, whether that behavior involves substances, gambling, or now, compulsive scrolling.

Attentional Control as a Protective Factor

The study’s most clinically relevant findings is that attention regulation isn’t fixed, but can be strengthened. Youths who can better regulate and have longer attention spans have better odds of avoiding SVA, even when they experience emotional difficulties such as attachment anxiety.

The research team indicated that tactics such as mindfulness training, reducing multitasking and reserving time for focused activity can strengthen the attention span and reduce the risk of short video addiction. Even simple acts of moving around can reduce anxiety.

These are not abstract recommendations. They’re core components of evidence-based therapies used in behavioral treatment centers every day, especially those that feature specialized teen rehab programs.

Understanding Dual Diagnosis in Behavioral Health

Co-occurring disorders occur when a person experiences a mental health condition alongside a behavioral or substance addiction simultaneously. In this research, attachment anxiety, alexithymia and poor attentional control represent underlying mental health vulnerabilities that can fuel addictive behavior.

Residential centers and outpatient mental health facilities that offer integrated care are best equipped to address both dimensions at once. Treating the behavioral addiction without addressing the emotional dysregulation underneath it likely produces only short-term results.

Comprehensive Behavioral Health Treatment

The study’s lead author concluded that strengthening attentional control and emotional awareness, rather than relying solely on restricting technology use, can be effective in preventing short video addiction. The researchers emphasize that this issue is fundamentally about emotional and cognitive regulation, not just screen time.

For families and individuals concerned about behavioral health, the takeaway is clear. If emotional difficulties, anxiety or attention problems drive compulsive behavior, mental health and dual diagnosis treatment programs can step in. Professionals can assess the full picture and build a care plan that targets the root causes.

Mental health centers provide individualized assessments for anxiety treatment, depression treatment, attention difficulties and co-occurring behavioral addictions. Feel free to browse our directory of verified treatment centers or call 800-908-4823 (Sponsored) to speak with someone about comprehensive mental and behavioral health options.

Author

Quentin Blount

Content Manager

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Quentin brings nearly a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and digital publisher to his role as Content Manager for Rehab.com. He aims to help people better understand their treatment options by creating engaging and informative content that is user-friendly, factually accurate, and optimized for search engine visibility. In his free time, Quentin enjoys the company of his friends, family, and his dog, Coop.

Editor

Peter Lee, PhD

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Peter W.Y. Lee is a writer and historian of American history during the Cold War. His primary focus is the relationship between youth and popular culture and its impact on U.S. society during the twentieth century. He has published widely on how the public has used popular culture as a mechanism to address political and social shifts throughout time