Gail Durkin ‘26
Opinions Editor
TikTok is one of the most popular apps of all time. The app has been downloaded over 3.5 billion times, and studies estimate that one billion people have created an account on the app. One billion! That’s an eighth of the world’s population. You probably have TikTok. I’m not judging you; I do too! But, we really need to acknowledge how absolutely horrific the app is, for so many different reasons. I recently redownloaded TikTok after about a year-long hiatus from it, and I have noticed several changes after a week of having TikTok again.
For one, my screen time is way up. I’m talking doubled, maybe even tripled. Now, instead of reading before bed (English nerd says what?) or finding something productive to do in my free time, my fingers are opening TikTok before I even know what’s happening. I find myself spending a lot of time just scrolling mindlessly, wasting the day away watching cat videos or that one guy on the app who walks around in the Florida Everglades barefoot. Because of this increase in screen time, I’ve also noticed an increase in headaches, which isn’t fun. I’ve also noticed a lack of motivation to socialize– why would I want to go to my friend’s room when I could stay cozy in bed with my TikToks? So, more screen time equals less social interaction and increased pain. Not good.
I’ve also noticed a decrease in my ability to focus on anything for longer than a few minutes at a time. Difficulty with readings and other homework assignments has begun to affect my performance in class because I end up switching away from the things I need to focus on after just a couple of minutes. And it’s not just academic things, either. I also find myself skipping through movies when I find myself getting bored, or watching a few minutes of a TV show before getting bored of that, too. TikTok’s instant delivery of short-hand entertainment has resulted in a desire to only look at something for about 30 seconds before moving onto the next, because that’s how it works on the app.
Additionally, it’s no secret that the app uses an algorithm to prevent you from seeing things you don’t enjoy and show you more of the things you do enjoy. This makes it really easy to get sucked in– everything you see entertains you, and so you keep scrolling because you know whatever is next will be good, too. TikTok also provides an infinite For You page that will literally never end. This makes it impossible to find a stopping point or a good place to take a break, so you’ll just keep scrolling on and on.
Also, can we talk about the content quality? Obviously, it isn’t known for its prestige. Yes, some of the content on the app is actually impressive– I’ve seen talented artists sharing their creative process, and upcoming bands and singers sharing some of the best music I’ve ever heard. The videos on the app aren’t all bad. However, there is also a ridiculous amount of reposting and copying and pirating. Sometimes it’s a set of Tumblr or Twitter/X reposts. Sometimes it’s another creator’s TikTok reposted under an ambiguous account. Sometimes it’s a film or TV show clip or an entire episode posted in parts with a Subway Surfer’s run playing on the same screen. This, while definitely being a copyright infringement and probably illegal, also does weird things to your attention– watching so many things at once makes it hard to focus on a single thing at a time. Yet another reason TikTok is worsening my attention span.
Like I said, I’m not judging you if you have TikTok, as that would make me a complete hypocrite. All I’m saying is that we need to consider what the app is doing to our minds and make sure we are aware of the long-term consequences!
Photo Courtesy of Pexels
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