TikTok. Tick Tock. Tick. tick. Tick. tick…tock. Yep, that’s right; that is the sound of your day slipping away. Don’t get me wrong, I love TikTok and social media because it has generated an amazing platform to share new music, fashion, aesthetics, and humor, and has propelled people to fame in a matter of minutes. There are many positives to social media, but every rose has its thorn and TikTok has quite a few. Oftentimes I would be laying in bed, scrolling, promising myself it was just for a couple more minutes. But then the minutes piled upon themselves and I realized I have wasted two hours of my life. Every single time I was slightly bored, I’d go to trusty old TikTok to fill my brain. I would complain about having no time in my day to read, paint, run, or do any of the hobbies I enjoyed as a kid. It was not a long shot to surmise that my FYP obsession and my disappointment were connected. As spring peeked around the corner, I decided to give up TikTok and I honestly feel better for it.
In no way am I insinuating that you cannot enjoy rest and chuckle at short videos, but the main issue lies in not being able to stop. We’ve all been there as the clock hands continuously looped around and all you have done is scroll. If you have any desire whatsoever to get out of the TikTok trance–you want to be more productive, pick up a new hobby or anything in between–then take this as a sign to make it happen.
First things first, put a time limit on TikTok. Head to your trusty screen time in settings and lock it down after 15 minutes of scrolling. This is where self-discipline takes action as you challenge yourself to stay off the app instead of just bypassing the time limit. If you want to take it a step further, delete the app entirely. I know it seems like climbing Everest, but I swear you can do this and the best way to cut something is to cut it cold turkey.Â
Next, find something, anything to replace TikTok. Instead of resorting to TikTok as my default for lazy time, I replaced it with reading or drawing. I’ve always loved reading and had a to-be-read pile that was a mountain high, so to conquer it I replaced 30 minutes of TikTok with 30 minutes of reading. I personally like to track my reading rates using The StoryGraph. It motivates me to stay off my phone because you can set a reading goal for the year (you best believe I’m making it to 25 books). Finding a new app is another way to fight against TikTok. Start learning a language on Duolingo, play the NYT Games, or download a game. This could be a puzzle game like Word Cookies, Sudoku, or maybe an old classic; I know we all loved Subway Surfers and Temple Run growing up. The main thing is to replace mindless scrolling with something more mind enriching but equally as relaxing.Â
If you want to put down your phone, leap out of your bed, and start being more active in general, then you are on the right track. Instead of supplementing TikTok with another energy-equivalent activity or app, plan your downtime around high-energy activities. I fight endless scrolling before or after class by going to the gym. Setting an alarm is a step to keep you accountable and actually getting out of bed. Going to a workout class or carving out time for a new hobby like rock climbing is another great way to transition an hour of TikTok for an hour of movement. If planning with friends will make you more likely to go, then make it happen! Intentionally planning activities, even if it’s watching a movie, is a great way to stay away from your phone.Â
Somedays, I slip off and mindlessly rot while enjoying the sweet humor and trends of TikTok as new music and niche pop culture quotes dance into my ears, and that’s ok! We are humans and therefore, entitled to a bit of a grace period. However, remember to not make an exception a habit. It’s time to start fulfilling the goals you want because the time is going to pass anyway; it’s better to do something with the minutes as they tick by. If you truly want to make a change in your life, stop talking about it and implement it!