The addictive nature of TikTok helped it rise to the top of the list of most famous social media. The short form of video content is so addictive and time-consuming to the average user that it affects mental health. It is wise if you do not spend too much time on social media and regulate its use. So, how long should you spend on TikTok?
There is no specific time limit that you should spend time on TikTok. It is a best practice if you spend less than 1 hour every week. It is even better if you stop using the app altogether. The load of information that you consume on the platform is certainly detrimental to your brain. So, try spending less and less time on TikTok, better spend no time on the platform.
Since it is social media and people want to get connected to their friends and family, you may not want to altogether leave the platform. So, it is a good idea to spend very less time on the platform. If you want to understand what is the effect of TikTok on your mental health and how can you spend less time on the platform, read this article till the end.
How Much Time Does An Average Person Spend On TikTok?
The data suggests that as of April 2021, an average user of TikTok spends 45 minutes per day. The top 6 percent of the users spend more than 10 hours weekly on the platform. This is particularly interesting as the time spends on TikTok is almost the same or sometimes more than on Youtube. Youtuber as a platform is not as harmful and addicting as TikTok.
The short-form video content of TikTok is addictive and takes up most of your productive time of yours. I have experienced this effect and felt relief when I stopped using TikTok and other social media altogether. This freed up my time and I could allot the time to do some productive tasks.
If you are wondering how can you stop your TikTok addiction, then this article may help you.
How Does Spending Too Much Time On TikTok Affect Your Mental Health?
The addictive nature of social media is detrimental to productivity and mental health as it consumes most of your time and you will end up spending less time on doing things that can uplift you.
There is various research done on the effects of social media on people’s lives. Most of the research shows a negative effect on the personal life and mental health of those users.
Spending too much time on social media can be harmful to your sleep and you may tend to have unrealistic views of other people’s lives. It may lead you into feeling worse about yourself and may lead you to depression and anxiety.
Can TikTok Cause You Depression?
Several studies have shown that social media in general have a detrimental effect on your life. Social media promotes an unhealthy obsession with likes and comments, which can turn out to be addictive and harmful.
Bullying is common on TikTok because it is extremely easy to comment on a video, and one troll can send multiple hurtful messages to the creator within an hour.
People tend to judge the creator based on race, gender, color, body weight, and many
more. People who are already insecure about themselves may look at themselves even more poorly.
All these negative things may lead a person to get depressed. The increase in mental health issues in the young generation also proves the point that Social media such as TikTok causes depression.
Can TikTok Cause You Anxiety?
In TikTok it is very common to find triggering videos, some come with a warning and some don’t. When you see a video that triggers you without a warning it is so common for you to get massive anxiety and feel even worse.
TikTok Addiction Lowers Attention Span
The Technical University of Denmark’s research found that getting too much information in a short time (which is the case in TikTok) narrows our attention span. Once you are habitual in getting your information with short clips like in TikTok, your brain will not be able to concentrate on longer tasks. It will ultimately decrease your productivity and render you useless in the case of attention-demanding tasks.
The most viral videos feature attractive people who form an enormous following base on behalf of their looks. It can negatively impact the mental health and self-esteem of those who do not gain the same level of popularity and when they reflect on themselves all they may feel is how they aren’t attractive as the person on their screen.
If you are wondering how can you stop your TikTok addiction, then this article may help you.
How Long Should You Spend On TikTok: Spend Less Time on TikTok
Tiktok is very addictive but you always need to learn to be socially responsible for yourself and reflect on what you can do more than just scrolling through TikTok.
Tips to Spend Less Time on TikTok
All of the fun you have while scrolling TikTok is difficult to ignore, but it is important to regulate your time and be responsible on TikTok. The following tips can help you control your addiction.
Unfollow content creators who are not there to provide real value to your life. Some may put out content that is fun for the moment but has limited entertainment value
Limit your time so you don’t end up spending your night scrolling through TikTok with no sleep, you can choose different times based on your habits and daily goals. If you have trouble sticking to this rule, you can set up an app blocker on your phone.
Find something else to do with your time instead of scrolling through the page. Go on a lunch date with your friend you have been willing to meet. Or find yourself a hobby that makes you feel like that is all you want to do in place of wasting your time on TikTok.
TikTok can offer a high degree of social status and positive reinforcement that becomes addictive in a unique way. Getting a like or comment on your content immediately gives you your needed validation and increases your self-esteem but you should always have to learn to limit yourself with it.
How Long Should You Spend On TikTok: Reason For TikTok Addiction
It creates a constantly updated flow of short and entertaining clips that create an intense emotional impact, the feeling of missing out goes around your brain and it won’t let you get over the app. It starts with the “For You” suggestions that are specifically personalized with your interests.
The entertainment emotionally rewards you so that you are wanting to join the community. You will not only have the pleasure in your brain boosted but also begin to feel like part of a social group.
If you want to minimize the use of TikTok, you can also try creating an anonymous TikTok account and use it. It will stop TikTok from curating your For You page according to your liking and slowly you stop getting addicted to the platform.
The Negative Impact Of TikTok
We do not need to start with how bad TikTok is for you. These are some following reasons why:
Addiction
Once you install the app and go through it I bet you will find your teens on their phones scrolling through TikTok day and night because it is a very addicting app. This app is generally created for content creation a lot of the content is related to life crises and others are funny and very fun to watch. From my personal experience, I say whenever I’m going through TikTok I never realize how fast the time passes.
Bullying
Cyberbullying has always been a very big problem in the social community. Whenever people find something going viral they have to add negative comments which will affect the creator’s mind.
Comparison
Whenever you open up TikTok you will find so many attractive people with pretty faces and bodies getting numerous likes and comments. The other teens will surely start to compare themselves on why they aren’t like them which will lead to body dysmorphic disorder with eating disorders.
Data Leak
It is also speculated that TikTok is too cozied up with the Chinese Communist Party. The reason being TikTok is a Chinese Company. Until now there has been no proof of it but if you want to know if TikTok spies you with a camera, read this article.
The Good Side Of TikTok
After having so many negative impacts there are pros of having TikTok, aren’t there?
TikTok’s Unique Algorithm Brings Forth the Relevant Videos
The app uses machine learning to show you a personalized feed known as For You which technically is different for every user.
For example, if you watch an informative video, you will find similar videos appearing on your feed.
TikTok Is User Friendly
TikTok doesn’t contain too many features or components that might not be required. It keeps things simple so that even a kid can go through the app itself.
TikTok Is One of the Best Sources for Memes and Funny Content
Everybody loves good humor once in a while. And that’s the fact about TikTok as it has some of the best funny videos.
People with creative perspectives create unique content on TikTok that is sure to make you laugh. Many people tend to use TikTok after a long, and busy day to refresh themselves and their minds and to get their daily dose of serotonin.
Business Marketing
TikTok is a social media that can be used to market your business. Since there is a huge user base on TikTok, you may be able to build a huge audience out of it and can convert them into your customers. You can find various Fitness Businesses as an example on the platform that regularly updates content and attract people.
If you want to understand how can you build a fitness business using TikTok, read this article.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Some frequently asked questions related to the topic of ‘How Long Should You Spend On TikTok’ are taken from the internet. Please go through the question and their answers to understand the topic and the platform.
Is TikTok Safe for Teens?
As technology continues to evolve, it can be a challenge to catch up to it. Questions of online safety and data privacy concerns are always on the mind of many parents when it comes to their teens’ involvement with TikTok.
Should I Let My Teen Download TikTok?
Using any social media can seem to be risky, but it’s possible for kids to safely use the app with adult supervision. TikTok has different rules for different ages:
A user under 13 can’t post videos or comment.
Content for the young audience is moderated.
Why Is TikTok So Addictive?
Tiktok is a very fun app. There is so much content that does match your life crisis and memes. There are numerous memes on TikTok too. Once you start having fun, you will not realize how you got addicted to it.
If you are wondering how can you stop your TikTok addiction, then this article may help you.
Conclusion
Therefore, TikTok addiction can be a real issue if you do not regulate its use. You can try to minimize the use of the platform as much as you can or completely stop using it. It will make time for other major tasks in your daily life and improve your mental health.
This article explains the reasons for the addiction and how you can achieve the task of minimizing the usage of TikTok. So read the article and provide us with some information in the comments below.
