How is TikTok Affecting Your Daily Life… Is it doing more harm than good?
TikTok — the popular social media platform, has undoubtedly made a significant impact on people’s daily lives. Its blend of short-form videos, algorithmic recommendations, and outlet for creativity, has captivated millions of users worldwide.
However, the effects of TikTok on individuals’ daily lives are a subject of debate, with both supporting views on the app and detracting views that think that this famous app does more harm than good.
The question is… does it?
Let's be clear, TikTok isn't all bad and if you’re reading this you’re probably an avid user of TikTok… like myself.
Its become such a popular app that individuals from all different generations have gotten involved in the app and there is something for everyone, which ultimately makes it the number one go-to app.
TikTok fosters a sense of community by allowing users to engage with one another through likes, comments, and duets. For some individuals, particularly those from marginalized communities, TikTok offers a space to share experiences and build supportive communities.
Providing a platform for users to express themselves creatively through video content. Many argue that creating and sharing TikTok videos can boost self-confidence, encourage artistic expression, and serve as a creative outlet in users’ daily lives.
Gilberto Rodriguez, a 20-year-old aspiring model who lives in New York, says that TikTok has given him an outlet to put himself out there and has offered a great sense of networking; forming connections with others in the same field.
“Modeling is a hard field to be a part of as I am always trying to find opportunities and when moving to New York I knew no one and didn't know where to start. Joining TikTok allowed me to meet people who were in my position at one point that were able to help me get those connections,” said Rodriguez.
But with such a widely known app does come drawbacks that become more and more prominent as TikTok evolves.
With this fast passed app, millions of videos are posted, and with this comes a sense of comparison of others' lives. Especially since the majority of the users are a younger audience they are more susceptible to the feeling of inadequacy and getting insecure.
This of course comes with the territory of all social media platforms but with the addictive nature of TikTok, these users are seeing these videos at all times throughout the day.
But what makes TikTok so different than other social media apps and why are we so consumed with this app?
Well, it's no coincidence that TikTok videos are extremely short. This of course is highly intentional, with the maximum video length being 3 minutes, these videos are crafted to be short, straightforward, and most of the time entertaining.
With the average human attention span recently dropping to just eight seconds.
Yes, just eight seconds.
It's no wonder TikTok is a hit…
According to Federal Computer Week (FCW), With continuous content that can be accessed at the swipe of a finger, users can swipe for hours without noticing. This endless swiping trains the brain to judge the significance of things in the first 15 seconds of its discovery.
This short attention span and quick-to-judge attitude can bleed into everyday activities, according to FCW, possibly leading to impatience and inattentiveness at jobs, schooling, and even during conversations, schooling and even during conversations.
As TikTok isn't going anywhere anytime soon, the debate on whether TikTok does more harm than good will be a conversation for a while but while there are benefits of this global app it's important to really step back and keep the negative impacts in mind.
