How does TikTok Keep us Scrolling?

Have you ever entered TikTok to search for something specific, but ended up mindlessly browsing through other videos? TikTok and many other apps have created a method to keep people scrolling endlessly without realizing how much time has passed. Using a personalized algorithm, each user is bound to find content that fits their interests. This algorithm is perfected over time by analyzing a user’s activity on the app, such as what they like, save, comment on, and how much time they spend watching. These apps utilize short-form content, making it easy and fast to consume. Combining this with the endless scrolling feature, it’ll always find more content to add, so you can keep scrolling with no pauses.

However, even a different app with all these features would still not catch your eye the way TikTok does. This is because TikTok also offers editing tools, effects, and music, and it is easy to navigate. It makes video-creating accessible to all, attracting more creators to the app. Aside from their features, TikTok also promotes challenges and trends, which increases participation from users. This creates more content and more material to add to people’s algorithms. With the inclusion of interactive community features on the app, people are encouraged to spend more time on TikTok. These features include duets, stitches, and the ability to comment and share videos with friends on the app. By also sending notifications when a followed creator posts, it draws people back into the app, most likely initiating another round of doomscrolling.

Doomscrolling is the act of spending an excessive amount of time online, reading, or watching large quantities of content without pausing. This can negatively affect your mental health and overall well-being. It can disturb sleep patterns if it happens before bedtime, and it normally does. Exposure to screens and blue light causes insomnia or restless, poor-quality sleep.  If the content being consumed is negative, it can increase anxiety and stress, making users feel overwhelmed with bad news. This negative content can also contribute to depression and feelings of low or sadness. The constant, unfortunate news can lead to desensitization of serious issues. This can cause some to not act when faced with real-world problems. 

Because of TikTok’s short-form, fast-paced content, people who consume it daily for so long can develop a reduced attention span. With interactions in the app being virtual, it can cause frequent users to become socially isolated, now prioritizing online interactions more than real ones. It can bring feelings of loneliness and awkwardness when facing real physical interactions. Being consumed in these posts can also make many get unrealistic body images and provoke others to compare themselves to edited body images, which may lead to eating disorders.

For students, doomscrolling affects them academically when adding all these other negative effects together. As Autumn Wallace, a 10^th grader, states, “Doomscrolling affects the mind in negative ways and causes procrastination. As someone with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), it stops me from doing what I need to do when I could be so productive.” This is a common pattern across many scholars. The continuous scrolling takes away essential time that could be used for homework instead. 

Similarly, Sophomore Miah Viera also shares her experience: “TikTok has taken away an absurd amount of hours from my life. Hours where I could’ve been studying, reading, drawing, painting, and living life. I really do truly wish I could just put it down with ease, but every day I should be sticking to my time constraints is a testament to the fact that I don’t.” Many people who suffer from the consequences of doomscrolling end up with a feeling of regret and ennui, which is dissatisfaction from the lack of occupation in the time spent.

Fortunately, there are ways to prevent this mindless scrolling. An easy way is to set a time limit on TikTok, so it locks the app when its screen time is met. You could also add a specific time in your schedule where you can be on social media, but stop once that set time is over. Though you’d need a lot of self-control and discipline for that method to work. 

To prevent witnessing bad news constantly, you could follow chosen accounts that share positive and reliable news. Likewise, to avoid negative self-images and ignorant influencers, you could pick certain trusted creators to follow. You should also try to replace scrolling with other hobbies you like. Whenever you feel like scrolling, leave the app immediately and choose to dedicate your time to your hobby. 

You could also replace it with spending time with friends and family to build meaningful offline relationships. To help with stress or unhealthy thoughts, practicing meditation and mindfulness also helps. Stepping away from negative news to reflect on your thoughts and potential triggers is another option to not let the negative energy build up inside. 

Turning off notifications will help you not be drawn back into TikTok unnecessarily. To help with sleep, limit screen time before bed. Instead, spend that time reading a book or listening to soft music while your phone is charging away from your bed. While the time varies, it is best to avoid blue light for 30 minutes to 2 hours before bed for a deep, healthy sleep. It is best to reflect upon yourself now and acknowledge if you have problems with doomscrolling, so you can fix it sooner rather than wasting more time on things that do not benefit you.