Is TikTok our new best friend?

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have contributed to the adoption of consuming a significant volume of video content on a daily basis. In light of this, the primary objective of this study was to explore the potential influence of consuming TikTok content that specifically addressed the concepts of red and green flags in romantic relationships. The aim was to explore whether exposure to such content could have an impact on individuals' intentions to modify their behavior within relationships and potentially reshape their criteria for selecting romantic partners. A model integrating items from self-determination theory (STD) and theory of planned behavior (TPB), previously employed by Luqman et al. (2018), was adapted to examine its applicability in the context of media use and well-being. The data utilized in this study was collected through an online questionnaire administered to a sample of 292 American female participants. The questionnaire focused on TikTok-related communities and was distributed through platforms such as Reddit and Facebook. The statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS v.27 and involved simple and multiple regression analyses. To assess the mediating effects of the variables, Baron and Kelly's four-step approach was employed. The data analysis revealed significant individual effects of all variables. Autonomous motivation had a direct impact on intention to follow advice from TikTok content about red and green flags, which was partially mediated by attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Controlled motivation also showed similar results, with subjective norms and perceived behavioral control partially moderating its relationship with intention. However, when attitude was introduced as a mediator, a complete mediation effect was observed between controlled motivation and intention.