It’s scary how much TikTok affects us. I still remember a time where it was considered “weird” to have it downloaded on your phone. Personally, I’ve always enjoyed keeping up with the art community there, and was surprised how much the attitude towards it shifted so quickly. In high school, I would walk by groups of students doing TikTok dances, and suddenly adults were also hooked. Now, TikTok has been a hub of cultural discourse, political campaigns, and a new type of celebrity. Ordinary people are going viral, and every school has that one person who is “TikTok famous.” But how much is too much?
I knew that I was hooked on TIkTok when I would sit on my bed and watch videos with the sound off (What??). I eventually figured out that what I needed was visual stimulation. I could let go of my anxious thoughts and struggles in favor of being distracted for hours on end. This was especially true during the pandemic, as everyone had a lot on their minds.
After I recognized how addicting that this social media platform was, I decided to take breaks. I would go through periods of having the app on my phone for a few months, and then deleting it for another few. This seemed to work, but I found the cycle to be too random, with no set amount of time I would be away from it. However, in January 2023, I quit cold turkey. I feel much better not being chained to my phone like that, and I think that it’s completely worth it. I feel like I’m much more focused, and able to sit through long TV shows without feeling the need to check my phone for more stimulation.
If you’re looking to go on a TikTok cleanse, I would recommend paying attention to your body when you first open the app. Are you stressed? Insecure? Tense? Sad? Usually, I would find that I opened social media when I was avoiding thinking about something. Whether that be a negative experience I had or a homework assignment I didn’t want to start, during that time I just needed to be distracted. You can just start with checking in with yourself, and eventually, make the leap to try listening to music or just sitting with your problem. One of my favorite ways to clear my head is going for a walk around campus, and when I come back, I find that it’s much easier to focus without needing to look at social media.
TikTok is also a hub for popular trends, gossip, and news, so it’s easy to feel left out when that connection is lost. It’s not the end of the world to miss out on something like that, but you might feel stressed out for the first few days when you aren’t plugged in. If it’s a major issue, you could get a friend to download and send some of the best content through messages! That way, you aren’t interacting with any algorithm designed to keep you hooked.
Above all, be kind to yourself. Social media platforms are designed to be as addictive as possible. There’s absolutely no shame in having a day where you binge content for a few hours, as we’ve all been there. These tips just exist to help if you feel like you want to make a change in your social media routine.
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