Why is it so addictive? 

Tiktok offers an endless amount of content which is short and tremendously entertaining. Tiktok is different from youtube in the sense that the videos are so much shorter and don’t require much of an attention span. It’s so easy to get addicted to tik tok even if you haven’t been associated with the app before. Siena would often take my phone while she was my roommate in order to watch tiktoks during her spare time. She was to the point of addiction, where she would drain all of my battery watching videos. She would also be so focused on the content, she couldn’t even hear or respond to simple questions I was asking her. Depending on what you like on tiktok, the app alters your “for you” page with a customized version of videos the app thinks you would like. Tiktok also has features to create and share content with your friends, and collaborate with popular people. This encourages more engagement and leads to people being more involved within the app, enlarging session times.

Factors like these make tik tok extremely addictive, especially among teenagers who are more likely to be engaged by apps and content such as tiktok. Despite the controversy, it’s important for educators as well as parents to be aware of circumstance and aid their kids in managing their mental health encompassing tiktok.

Signs you’re addicted:

If you’re spending an excessive amount on the app to the point you’re getting a message that you’ve already spent your daily time of 6 hours and 55 minutes, you’re addicted. Other signs include, feeling anxious when you’re not on tiktok, neglecting other activities like homework to spend your time watching videos and checking notifications. Finally, if you have difficulty focusing on tasks without thinking about tiktok. 

Questions to ask yourself

Have you found yourself regularly checking your notifications even if nothing is new?

Do you feel panicked or anxious when you haven’t gotten a tiktok notification in a while?

Are you unable to stop watching tiktok?

Do you find yourself losing the amount of time you’re spending scrolling?

Have you neglected other activities such as homework, socializing, or exercise in order to spend more time continuously scrolling? 

Do you find yourself uncontrollably using tik tok features (filters, transitions, etc)? If you have a decent amount of followers, do you find yourself checking your analytics to check success or failure?

Do you feel a sense of urgency when posting a video or feel a necessity to respond to comments? Are you constantly trying to change up your videos in order to get more views?

If you found yourself responding yes to several of these questions, you might have a tiktok addiction.

Written by: Chloe