We all have had those moments in life where nothing seems right and everything seems to be frozen still. Time moves excruciatingly slowly, and our minds are so blank that it feels like the white, blank screen often depicted in movies.

Boredom plagues us all from time to time, often when we are supposed to be doing something important or something that we have been planning on doing for ages, but alas, with boredom comes procrastination and in the end, we never end up doing what we meant to do.

When that feeling strikes, it is like we are being sucked into a timeless void to search for an entertaining activity to defeat the beast of emptiness. Boredom festers within us all.

As children, we used to look for the utmost creative ways to cure our boredom: playing video games, playing outside, or even pestering our parents with strange questions and annoying sounds we can’t even remember how to mimic.

The youth of today, though, have developed a new habit for passing the unending time they have on their hands when their brains go blank.

No, it isn’t YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, or Snapchat anymore, even if they are still often being used. Another contender has been taking over for the past four years. It has captured the attention of celebrities, youth, the elderly, and even individuals in the medical field! All of whom are looking for ways to escape their own minds.

TikTok’s users and creators have taken a platform made for entertainment only and turned the purpose on its head. Now, TikTok isn’t simply a platform for entertainment; it has become a platform for education, self-expression, and support. It’s an outlet to release emotions and thoughts, not only to assist in the battle many individuals struggle with against mental health, but also as a way to self-betterment, so they may become the best versions of themselves

Psychologists, therapists, doctors, trainers, teachers, and so many more professional individuals have been joining TikTok to help and educate the world. This, along with videos under the hashtags #anxiety, #adhd, #mentalhealth, and many more with millions of views, has made it possible for TikTok to help users in many ways. Even though all these wonderful things are available on the app, it is still just an app and not an actual therapy session or a diagnosis.

Let’s talk about the ways TikTok actually can and cannot help with mental health.

TikTok as a platform can only supply simple things, such as support, a community of people who have similar struggles to help you in your journey, and someone to talk to who truly understands what you are going through. It can provide content that may help you better understand what you are feeling and going through. It can also provide an outlet for you to express your emotions, in an attempt to help you progress, and resources that may or may not help.

TikTok cannot diagnose you with mental disorders or even medical problems. These are to be done by a professional and if you feel that you need to be diagnosed, you should go and see the appropriate doctor or therapist to diagnose and properly help you.

TikTok cannot cure you of your ailments. No matter how much it may help you, it isn’t a cure.

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