Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Control of Eating Behavior Using a Novel Feedback System
Published on: May 8, 2018
"I wanna try it so bad": How TikTok Influences Adolescent Eating and the Role of Parents
Adrianna N Bell1, Barbara J McMorris2, Jayne A Fulkerson1
1School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN.
Objective:
Explore how adolescents' TikTok use influences their dietary intake and the role of parents in that influence.
Methods:
Four semistructured focus groups were conducted with 25 students (aged 15-16 years) from a Midwestern high school. Participants completed demographic and TikTok use surveys.
Analysis:
Transcripts were cleaned, independently coded, and analyzed inductively using a 6-step thematic analysis process. Codes and themes were finalized by consensus.
Results:
Two themes emerged. First, TikTok food content cued adolescents' appetite through subthemes related to content type (e.g., trends, ads), video factors (e.g., food presentation, comments), influencers, and contextual cues. Second, adolescents viewed parents as generally uninvolved in their TikTok use but as protective when they facilitated disengagement with TikTok, interrupting food-related content exposure.
Conclusions And Implications:
Adolescents reported that TikTok food content may influence their eating, and parental involvement may be protective. Future quantitative research is needed to measure the impacts of these influences on dietary intake.
Related Concept Videos
Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth. This guiding role...
Binge Eating Disorders
Erikson's Theory on Socioemotional Development during Adolescence
Bulimia Nervosa
Cognitive Development During Adolescence
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
