Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
JOURNAL OF ADULT DEVELOPMENT, cilt.2026, sa.0, ss.1-20, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
Emerging adulthood, characterized by identity exploration and the transition from adolescence to adulthood, often involves instability and uncertainty. The quarter-life crisis, a developmental crisis during emerging adulthood, reflects struggles in career, relationships, and personal identity. Using a qualitative content analysis approach, we examined the manifest and latent content of 91 publicly shared TikTok videos and comments. The findings revealed twelve key themes in the manifest content: transition to adulthood: pendulum swings, financial issues, career-related issues, social and societal issues, journey to self, signs of quarter-life crisis, coping strategies, scrolling through support, “no one warned us,” quarter-life crisis as a common experience, age of crisis, and time flies. The latent content analysis identified additional themes such as artistic narratives of crisis experiences, self-promotion, and validation. Music, visual storytelling, and symbolic representations played a significant role in expressing crisis experiences. TikTok was found to serve as a platform for both emotional release and community support, reflecting the increasing role of social media in shaping young adults’ self-perception and coping mechanisms. Overall, this study highlights the significance of TikTok as a space for young adults to narrate their quarter-life crisis experiences, seek support, and engage in identity exploration.