TikTok Takeover by Logan Luft
We all know and love the app that gives us the majority of our entertainment: TikTok. No matter your age or gender, TikTok has been a huge part of our lives. Having the ability to scroll endlessly, watching fifteen seconds takes our attention away from reality easily. Too easily. But how does Tiktok exactly negatively affect us, and how has this transferred to other platforms?
TikTok works simply like this: you watch some videos and think to yourself, “Maybe just a couple more and I’ll be done.” Next thing you know, you are scrolling for longer and longer, meaning you’re watching more and more videos. This short format tricks you into believing that watching “just one more” is a low time commitment.
This time spent can be seen a lot more in the newer generations. According to Wallaroo Media, “Average Minutes Per User – TikTok users love the app. They spend an average of 95 minutes per day (over 1.5 hours) on the platform.” For some users, this consumes even more time per day.
TikTok has also influenced other apps to use the same technique to keep users attached. Apps such as Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and even Netflix use this technique. These apps created their own variants, such as Instagram Reels (Less restrictive content), YouTube Shorts (shortened YouTube videos), Snapchat Spotlight (More influencers), and Netflix Fast Laughs (Comedic Movie Clips).
Although many people believe that having social media apps like this can improve our moods, it can also negatively affect our work ethic. The “addiction” these apps contain can distract us from doing normal everyday tasks; however, using these apps in moderation can have positives as well. Whether it's giving us global information, or having a soothing way to ease our minds from the outside world. TikTok can be helpful or distracting, but it's only you who can choose that path.
TikTok works simply like this: you watch some videos and think to yourself, “Maybe just a couple more and I’ll be done.” Next thing you know, you are scrolling for longer and longer, meaning you’re watching more and more videos. This short format tricks you into believing that watching “just one more” is a low time commitment.
This time spent can be seen a lot more in the newer generations. According to Wallaroo Media, “Average Minutes Per User – TikTok users love the app. They spend an average of 95 minutes per day (over 1.5 hours) on the platform.” For some users, this consumes even more time per day.
TikTok has also influenced other apps to use the same technique to keep users attached. Apps such as Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and even Netflix use this technique. These apps created their own variants, such as Instagram Reels (Less restrictive content), YouTube Shorts (shortened YouTube videos), Snapchat Spotlight (More influencers), and Netflix Fast Laughs (Comedic Movie Clips).
Although many people believe that having social media apps like this can improve our moods, it can also negatively affect our work ethic. The “addiction” these apps contain can distract us from doing normal everyday tasks; however, using these apps in moderation can have positives as well. Whether it's giving us global information, or having a soothing way to ease our minds from the outside world. TikTok can be helpful or distracting, but it's only you who can choose that path.