Why is tiktok so addicting? -Jacqui McDonald
You may find yourself endlessly scrolling on TikTok night after night. Maybe even more than other social media platforms. How does it capture your attention for so long and keep you from being productive?
Endless Scrolling and Distractions:
Since being launched in 2016, TikTok’s popularity has skyrocket over the past few years. Although it provides a lot of entertainment. It can be a distraction to work, education, etc. Because of its “Endless Scroll” feature, it is easy to get lost in the feed. It is made to reveal the unknown. You may think, what might you see if you just scroll one more time? And after that, okay maybe just one more time, and the cycle continues.
As shown here, @tina_450 expresses that she left the library after 2 hours of being on TikTok, disregarding her studies.
The “For You” Page:
TikTok is highly reminiscent of 2 retired popular platforms, “musical.ly” and “vine”. The media on the app consists of short form videos of every genre, such as trends, music, dance, comedy, challenges, etc. These short videos require little energy to watch, and are good for people even with a short attention span. It hosts a “for you page’’ completely customized to the videos that you enjoy.
The “For You Page” is created by artificial intelligence and could be the key reason we are so addicted to the app. The platform is different from other social media platforms such as instagram, facebook, snapchat, etc, because it produces our personal page based on our reactions to the content. As the authors of “Webs of Influence” suggest, finding a target audience as a key role to creating a successful social media page, and TikTok has seemed to master that.
The Like Button:
If you have ever made a TikTok, you know how exciting it is to receive a like or comment. That type of validation sends serotonin to the brain, making you want to generate more.
As Sophia Petrillo says, “The action of ‘liking’ social media content has recently become so popular that Merriam Webster now lists an alternative definition of ‘like’ in the dictionary as “to electronically register one’s approval”.
Liking other peoples posts and comments can serve as a form of joy as you subconsciously feel like you a giving a gift to that person.
Influencers:
You may recognize the faces above as TikTok stars. Addison Rae, Alix Earle, Bryce Hall, and Charli D’amelio are all considered influences on the app.
Influncers are a type of modern day celebrity that most likely achieved their status with just a smart phone and a dream. You get to see into the lives of your biggest role models. People get attached to this source of information as they see people live the life that the dream of.
Conclusion:
Through the seratonin and dopamine your brain receives through watching the videos, receiving likes, and seeing your role models post videos, it is very clear why TikTok became such an addictive platform.
“TikTok- Proof the world is terminally bored”
https://sites.brown.edu/publichealthjournal/2021/12/13/tiktok/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvienWwHCGw
Web Of Influences