The Negative Effects of TikTok
While TikTok can be an entertaining and funny app, it has proven to be harmful for you and your brain, specifically in lowering your attention span. TikTok was first released in 2016, and it has increased in popularity over the past few years. TikTok especially gained a large following at the start of the pandemic when people were looking for fun things to do while they were stuck at home. The short, never-ending supply of videos is what makes the app so addicting.
One of the main effects of watching TikTok for prolonged periods of time is that doing so lowers your attention span.
This is the result of a constant stream of new videos and new stimulation on the app. Whenever you dislike one video, you can just swipe to the next one instantly. You can even fast forward to the end of the video if you don't like waiting the 15 or 30 seconds to see the result of a video. According to a study done by Microsoft, the average human attention span is now 8 seconds, making the 15-second TikTok videos perfect for the modern mind. In 2000, the average attention span was 12 seconds and has dropped 4 seconds from 2021. It is reported that a goldfish has a 9-second attention span, making it longer than that of humans.
Of a poll taken of St. Francis High School students, 88% of students reported that they feel TikTok has lowered their overall attention span. So what does this mean for us? Do we have to delete TikTok? Ultimately, it is up to you. It would be very beneficial to delete TikTok, but that can be a difficult feat. If that seems like too difficult a challenge, it would be best just to decrease your amount of TikTok usage gradually over time.
Having a decreased attention span does not have to be permanent thing. Some things we can do to improve our attention includes improving sleep, exercising, meditating, playing memory games, spending time in nature, and even listening to music. TikTok is a great app and can be used to collaborate with people all over the globe, but we just need to remember to use it in moderation and in a healthy way.
St. Francis High School
2130 W. Roosevelt Road, Wheaton, IL 60187
Phone (630) 668-5800
Fax (630) 668-5893
Phone (630) 668-5800
Fax (630) 668-5893
