Associations between TikTok Use, Mental Health, and Body Image Among College Students

Background. Social media use continues to increase globally, and there is a large field of research examining the relationships between social media use with anxiety, depression, and body image. College-aged students are particularly vulnerable to these associations because they are at a unique developmental point of their life. College-aged students also use social media more frequently than almost any other age group, which may put them at increased risk for negative mental health and body image outcomes related to their social media use. TikTok is a relatively new social media app that has exponentially risen in popularity, especially among younger age groups. There is limited research on TikTok’s associations with anxiety, depression, and body image. This study aims to 1) analyze the relationships between TikTok use with anxiety, depression, and body image among college students, 2) examine whether gender and race moderate these relationships. Methods. This was a cross-sectional study that used a self-administered online survey. Subjects were college students at the University of Mississippi who were over the age of 18 and had used TikTok in the last 30 days. Demographic information was collected including age, sex, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and class standing. To assess social media use, participants were asked how many days a week (frequency) and how many hours a day (quantity) on average they used TikTok. Additionally, the Social Media Use Integration Scale (SMUIS) was administered. To assess mental health, the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 were used to measure anxiety and depression symptoms, respectively. The Shared Content Anxiety (SCA) subscale of the Social Anxiety Scale for Social Media Users (SAS-SMU) was also administered. Body image was assessed using the BAS-2 (Body Appreciation Scale). Linear regression models were used to assess the associations between TikTok use, mental health, and body image. To analyze if race and gender moderated these relationships, linear regressions were run again after stratifying the sample by race and sex. Results. A final sample of n=260 college students was analyzed, with a mean age of 20.1 years old. The sample was mostly female (84.6%) and white (75.4%). Days of TikTok use per week was not associated with any outcomes of interest. Increased daily hours of TikTok use was associated with decreased body image and higher levels of depression and shared content anxiety. Increased attachment to TikTok was associated with higher levels of depression and shared content anxiety. Key differences in associations of interest were noted when the sample was stratified by race and sex. Conclusion. This study suggests that there are negative relationships between TikTok use and anxiety, depression, and body image among college students, and particular subgroups may be at increased risk for negative outcomes related to their TikTok use. Future research should continue to examine the links between social media use and health and functioning among adolescents and young adults

Effects of Chemical Inducers on Larval Oyster Settlement in Suboptimal Conditions

Corresponding author (Biological Science): Alexz Carpenter, [email protected]://egrove.olemiss.edu/pharm_annual_posters_2022/1005/thumbnail.jp

Effect of Ploidy on Early Oyster Life Stage Tolerance of Salinity and Temperature

Corresponding author (BioMolecular Sciences): Christian Boudreaux, [email protected]://egrove.olemiss.edu/pharm_annual_posters_2022/1003/thumbnail.jp

Effect of ploidy on salinity and temperature tolerance in early life stages of the Eastern oyster (\u3ci\u3eCrassostrea virginica\u3c/i\u3e)

The U.S. Gulf of Mexico contains the largest remaining wild oyster fishery in the world, but populations have declined in recent decades. A growing interest in off-bottom aquaculture that relies on triploid eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) has emerged in the Gulf region, yet these faster growing oysters suffer high mortality as adults during low salinity (\u3c5) events in warmer summer months. The combined effects of low salinity and high temperature stress on early life stages of triploid oysters are unknown. Early life stages are particularly crucial to understand because triploid oysters do not occur naturally and must be reared in hatchery settings, requiring appropriate water conditions to yield the greatest survival and growth. Thus, we tested the effects of different temperatures (28 ºC and 32 ºC) and salinities (5, 10, and 15) on diploid and triploid oysters at three critical production stages: veliger, pediveliger, and spat. Veliger survival was significantly lower for triploids relative to diploid oysters at all experimental conditions, but triploid veligers had faster growth than diploids at 32 ºC and salinity of 15. Pediveliger settlement was not affected by ploidy type and was reduced only at high temperature (32 ºC) and the lowest salinity (5). Diploid spat showed highest survival at 28 ºC and 15 salinity, while triploids survived best at 32 ºC and 15 salinity. Triploid spat attained greater shell height compared to diploids in our 6- day exposures, but growth decreased for both ploidies at lower salinities. At the salinity and temperature levels examined, diploid early life stages performed best at 28 ºC and 15 salinity, whereas triploids were more successful at 32 ºC and 15 salinity. A broader understanding of the combined effects of environmental stressors will improve the success of hatchery production yields and the resulting economic and environmental benefits of the oyster industry

Effect of ploidy on salinity and temperature tolerance in early life stages of the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica)

The U.S. Gulf of Mexico contains the largest remaining wild oyster fishery in the world, but populations have declined in recent decades. A growing interest in off-bottom aquaculture that relies on triploid eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) has emerged in the Gulf region, yet these faster growing oysters suffer high mortality as adults during low salinity (<5) events in warmer summer months. The combined effects of low salinity and high temperature stress on early life stages of triploid oysters are unknown. Early life stages are particularly crucial to understand because triploid oysters do not occur naturally and must be reared in hatchery settings, requiring appropriate water conditions to yield the greatest survival and growth. Thus, we tested the effects of different temperatures (28 ºC and 32 ºC) and salinities (5, 10, and 15) on diploid and triploid oysters at three critical production stages: veliger, pediveliger, and spat. Veliger survival was significantly lower for triploids relative to diploid oysters at all experimental conditions, but triploid veligers had faster growth than diploids at 32 ºC and salinity of 15. Pediveliger settlement was not affected by ploidy type and was reduced only at high temperature (32 ºC) and the lowest salinity (5). Diploid spat showed highest survival at 28 ºC and 15 salinity, while triploids survived best at 32 ºC and 15 salinity. Triploid spat attained greater shell height compared to diploids in our 6-day exposures, but growth decreased for both ploidies at lower salinities. At the salinity and temperature levels examined, diploid early life stages performed best at 28 ºC and 15 salinity, whereas triploids were more successful at 32 ºC and 15 salinity. A broader understanding of the combined effects of environmental stressors will improve the success of hatchery production yields and the resulting economic and environmental benefits of the oyster industry