I Deleted TikTok For My Resolution, Not For the Ban
(Pictures courtesy of an outside source TikTok user, comments found by Kerry Kadel)
Kerry Kadel | Editor-in-Chief
At the start of January, I deleted TikTok, the incredibly famous social media app that allows users to create, share, and watch short-second videos. I didn’t want to find myself doomscrolling, as defined by Merriam-Webster as “to spend excessive time online scrolling through news or other content that makes one feel sad, anxious, angry, etc., which is what many other apps such as Instagram and YouTube have added to their platforms since the hype of TikTok. Instagram has what’s known as “Reels”, mimicking the reel of a camera to center around their platform of photography. YouTube has “Shorts” which imply shorter video content than what their platform usually caters towards.
I still found myself stuck scrolling through these short videos on these other platforms when I originally had plans to check up on friends or watch a normal lengthy video from my favorite YouTube creators. However, with this scrolling format that these apps have implemented, I realized that it was killing my attention span, in more ways than one.
I would click on a YouTube video of 15 minutes, and then immediately click off due to how it didn’t peak my interest–and these videos were from creators I have watched for years. I realized I needed to stop when one of my resolutions was to read more, and that scrolling for hours on end on these apps wouldn’t help me to begin my reading journey. So, I went to the culprit that began it all, way back when I downloaded it in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, and deleted TikTok.
I still find myself getting caught up in scrolling through Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, but since deleting TikTok, it’s been easier for me to put my mind back on track on what I originally had in mind. I’ve read three books this month, and I’m so excited to pick a book out from my “to-be-read” jar and see which books from my book cart are chosen.
In no way am I saying that I am better than everyone else for deleting TikTok and picking up a book. I realize how my own emotions have fluctuated every second when seeing a video, scrolling, feeling angry on another video, and scrolling through until I find that one hit of dopamine before the cycle repeats itself.
Before I pull out resources to explain the impacts that doomscrolling has on one’s mental health, I’ll explain more reasons why I got tired of TikTok overall.
- Clickbait & Rage-bait
For those who don’t know, “clickbait” is “[internet] content whose main purpose is to attract attention and encourage visitors to click on a link to a particular web page,” while “rage-bait” is “the manipulative tactic of eliciting outrage with the goal of increasing internet traffic, online engagement, revenue and support.” Both definitions are to garner increased interactions from other online users for more subscribers and supporters, which ultimately leads to gaining financial stability for the content creators.
Curiosity has killed the cat for me on this one, mainly on TikTok to be roped in a wild story told by trendy tactics such as the “Put a Finger Down Challenge”, that evolved into a story-telling video of the creator reciting an anecdote so specific that it (obviously) only happened to them. Some creators will make multiple videos of the inciting incident/story that gave their video millions of views, just to find out it was all fake, for engagement, promoting their own music/brands, and/or simply wanting fame.
2. Promoting Overconsumption
I used to not care so much about the topic of overconsumption, but from the millions of views influencers and creators attain from videos, clickbait/rage-bait or not, they are able to promote brand deals from certain companies–almost always makeup or feminine care-related. I still get videos about “morning/night routines”, or vlogs (video logs) of influencers going to Target or Kohls to buy trinkets and plastic holiday items that only last one day (I’m looking at you, Valentine’s Day). It’s things that no one needs in order to make their home feel more like a home, or to make themselves feel good.
Which is something that I want to highlight: these influencers aim overconsumption at self-care, making videos titled “self-care day” where they have so many gadgets and gizmos that the average person–especially college students or people in need of saving money–do NOT need. None of these expensive skin care items or gadgets will clear up your acne or suddenly make your pores disappear, it’s all fake and filtered to aim at others’ insecurities just to make a profit for the brand and themselves. It’s all a ploy to make you buy something more expensive than it needs to be in order to give an unrealistic, dreamy lifestyle influencer your hard-earned money.
3. Being Highly Invested/Engrossed in Other Peoples’ Lives
Bouncing off my last point on the dreamy lifestyle of an influencer, you find yourself becoming infatuated with their account, wanting to watch their perfected 20-step morning routine, what they eat throughout the day, where they go and what they’re buying for themselves. Once something happens, much like drama or gossip that floods the app, certain lives of celebrities, politicians, and normal people who the algorithm just so happened to choose for fame, gets put under a microscope. Such topics are Justin Baldoni versus Blake Lively with a sexual harassment lawsuit, and “Mommy Influencers” such as a woman by the name of Nurse Hannah, who is guilty of posting possibly child negligence and references of abuse on her TikTok page.
We love to have villains. Society loves having someone to blame for wrongdoing, and we as onlookers don’t realize that we’re feeding the fire. We are doing wrong by giving these people more attention by commenting hate, sharing to other socials, and coming back to their page for updates. I had to stop myself and ask what I was doing–why do I care about some of these things? But how could I not care about a little boy being worried by millions of strangers with possible proof from these videos? Is this real emotion? Do people actually care and want to make a difference? Or are we just going to say that, hit post, and scroll on?
Perhaps we scroll on due to the monotonous effects that doomscrolling has on people. UNC Health lists the anxious and depressive side effects of doomscrolling, but also highlight symptoms such as irritability, lack of productivity, poor concentration, and mental fatigue. All of these symptoms lead to a detrimental sense of well-being for individuals. Studies have shown that the more time one spends doomscrolling, the more someone will experience sleep disturbance, physical stress, and low self-esteem.
Tips that UNC Health give for lowering time on screen:
- Setting a timer to decrease scrolling each day
- Unfollowing accounts with negative content
- Switch your focus and attention on other activities that are healthy for your daily life
- Replace the time you use for doomscrolling with other activities such as reading or listening to music (a big stress reliever).
For those who have been told to pick up a book instead of your phone, I understand that for some people, reading isn’t their best strong suit. Maybe they can’t exactly picture a scene or a character, which is why I think that audiobooks or podcasts are a great way to help get your mind thinking besides shutting it off and scrolling. I listen to podcasts, and though I do read physical books, audiobooks are something I’ve been wanting to get into, and have many friends who speak highly of them. Some will try and argue that it’s not reading, but it is–you are being told the story and connecting the pieces of the plot in your mind like any other physical copy reader would!
You can also pick up a new hobby! You can find a beginner tutorial for anything that peaks your interest on YouTube. You might think this is hypocritical since I’m directing you to another social media platform, but once you learn from a couple videos and have the ambition to want to create or indulge in something, you’ll be able to perfect your craft while being able to watch your favorite shows or movies!
You can start out as simple as taking walks outside, or adventuring to new places like coffee shops or restaurants you’ve never been before, maybe get your friends involved too to help you out!
It’s okay to shut your brain off for a while, but be sure to not have it be completely dependent on mindless scrolling just so you can find the one video to give your brain that shot of dopamine before you keep scrolling and let the cycle repeat.
What are your thoughts on TikTok, the ban, and mindless scrolling? Reach out to us through our socials and share your thoughts!