The Chemicals Behind Tiktok Addiction

Tiktok, the popular video-sharing app, has taken the world with its endless scroll of short, addictive videos. Globally, the avarage time spent on tiktok is 52 minutes per day. However, what many people don't realize is that this seemingly harmless entertainment leads to addiction.

 

The science behind TikTok addiction

Tik tok has an algorithm that predicts the user’s preferences and is able to recommend you videos by what you and others have watched.(You can find more information about it in the “Psychological Targeting” post)

By showing the users personalized content, Tiktok release of dopamine in our brains. When we engage with the app and scroll through an endless feed of videos, our brain perceives this as a reward and releases dopamine, chemical related to happiness, creating a pleasing sensation. The more time we spend on TikTok, the more dopamine is released, creating a cycle of addiction.

The endless scroll of TikTok's feed is similar to the highs induced by drugs. Both of them are even related to the release of Dopamine an, in both cases, the “good” sensation coming from the chemical increases as you consume the product/spend time online.

 

The Negative Impacts of TikTok Addiction on Human Health:

• The excessive amount of time spent in TikTok, which can lead to:
• Neglecting important aspects of life, like work, personal relationships, and self-care
• Decline in mental snd physical health (stress, anxiety, headaches, ophthalmological issues, etc)
• Sleep deprivation
• Sedentary lifestyle

How to overcome Tiktok addiction:

• Establish limits on the amount of time you spend on TikTok each day. (there are apps that can control the amount of time you spend on each one of your apps)
• Fill your time with other activities like hobbies, reading or doing housework
• Look for professional help

 

Works Cited

“How TikTok Is Addictive.” Medium, DataSeries, 13 Sept. 2020, medium.com/dataseries/how-tiktok-is-addictive-1e53dec10867.

“Tiktok User Statistics (2023).” Backlinko, 28 Mar. 2023, backlinko.com/tiktok-users.