Claim: TikTok is addicting

Question

A lot of people notice that when they open TikTok, they are appalled when they look at the time they spent on the app are hours later. Moments that feel like 30 minutes on the app are really 2 hours. According to BBC News, “A psychologist said the personalised algorithm on TikTok may be leading young people to get addicted. Dr Nia Williams, of Bangor University, said TikTok addictive because it releases dopamine into the brain, making it feel good.” (BBC News) https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-62720657

Comments

I agree that tiktok is addictive because me and several friends have discussed this. We all can say that once we open tiktok, we find oursleves sitting on it for extended periods of time and getting too focused on the app to do anything else. The screetime feature on iphone shows how much time you spent on each app ad we all have very high times on tiktok.

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@ellenwagner going forward, please "answer" the claim using the corresponding button rather than comment on it. By doing so, you'll be able to have your fact-check upvoted and also be selected as the best answer.

As for your fact-check, it's nice to hear your personal analysis and experience, however, going forward you should include evidence and support from legitimate sources such as academia, scientific organizations, or the media and the source links, plus a detailed explanation, and a rating.

Answer 1

I agree that the app is addicting. I use the app quite often and crave to open the app whenever I get some exposure. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-62720657 According to this article, the app releases endorphins in the users, making it more addicting. 

Comments

Nice job providing an explanation, personal experience, and a brief data point from BBC, your source. Going forward, I would add a bit more details to your explanation with details on the endorphins or other interesting and relevant points that further support your fact-check rating (which you should include next time). For a rating, you can choose whatever is appropriate and which you have evidence for (true, false, misinformation, not misinformation, likely misinformation, opinion).

Answer 2

"One study investigating the impact of social media addiction on stress among employees of 13 companies in Thailand found that those with a higher degree of addiction appear to have a lower capacity for mindfulness (ex; the ability to be fully engaged with the present moment). Social media addiction may reduce productivity and success in work, education, and other areas of life. Additionally, the study revealed that individuals experiencing addiction to social media choose emotion-focused coping to alleviate stress rather than problem-focused coping."

- https://sites.brown.edu/publichealthjournal/2021/12/13/tiktok/

Comments

Nice job providing an extract from your source. Going forward, it's best to go further and provide your own explanation, with some quotes from your source, the source link, as well as a rating (true, false, misinformation, likely misinformation, etc.)

Answer 3

I agree that TikTok is very addictive because speaking as an avid user, I can be mindlessly scrolling for hours and not even realize it. I don't use any other social media platforms nearly as much as TikTok. I picked up on new funny sayings and phrases. I really like the trends I find and my friends are all caught up in them so it's like we all collectively have fun because of TikTok. It is still very addictive though.

https://medium.com/dataseries/how-tiktok-is-addictive-1e53dec10867

Comments

It's nice to hear your personal analysis and experience, however, your explanation should also include evidence and support from legitimate sources such as academia, scientific organizations, or the media and the source links, and a rating (true, false, misinformation, likely misinformation, opinion, etc.).

Answer 4

I agree that TicTok app is addicting. A  2022 research shows that the average TikTok user spends 52 minutes on the app each day. For me, such short-form video platform I use is about1 to 2 hours a day.

9 Stats About Average Time Spent on Tiktok 2022 [New Data] (renolon.com)

Comments

Good work providing an explanation, your personal experience, and some research details. Going forward, it's best to include research details that specifically confirm the claim (details on Twitter addiction rather than how many minutes users spend on the app) and to add a rating (true, false, misinformation, not misinformation, etc.).

Answer 5

I agree to the point that TikTok is addictive as it has an algorithm that puts things on one's page which are very accurate to their interests. "A psychologist said the personalised algorithm on TikTok may be leading young people to get addicted." In addition to that, the reason why TikTok is something so many people are on is because it's a common thing in our generation so people get on it due to the fear of missing out.

Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-62720657

Comments

Good job including a clear explanation, a quote from your source, and the source link. Don't forget to add a rating next time.

Answer 6

source: https://sites.brown.edu/publichealthjournal/2021/12/13/tiktok/

This article published by Brown University states the harmful effects of addiction to social media. This article focuses on a study that was conducted about the impact of social media addiction on stress of employees in companies. The author, Sophia Petrillo, states that, "individuals experiencing addiction to social media choose emotion-focused coping to alleviate stress rather than problem-focused coping." What this essentially means is that individuals who are stressed are more likely to lean on social media as a distraction from their problems - further feeding into their addiction.

Answer 7

TikTok separates itself from other social media platforms by only making available shorter-style videos, which keeps people more attentive and encourages more scrolling on the app. Dr Nia Williams, of Bangor University, said "TikTok becomes addictive because it releases dopamine into the brain, making you feel good." The main nucleus of all addictions is this feeling of relaxation and contentment. By keeping users on the app for hours through their short-style videos, TikTok is ultimately promoting social media addiction. I can vouch under my personal experience that TikTok is very addictive; I find myself scrolling for near hours before I realize.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-62720657

Answer 8

I do think TikTok is a site that people find themselves clicking and sitting on, but I don't think the right words is "addictive". Let me explain.

University of Brown did a study on the addictive parts of TikTok https://sites.brown.edu/publichealthjournal/2021/12/13/tiktok/. Within their explanation, they explain how "once immersed in the flow-like state, users may experience a distorted sense of time in which they do not realize how much time has passed." I would not use that piece of evidence to prove addiction, rather to prove that people get very caught up when they are on their phones.

There is a joy that is found in a lack of responsibility. When people are scrolling, they have no responsibilities and are simply scrolling endlessly and laughing. Personally, I scroll for hours. Each video is usually no more than a minute long, so it feels like I am wasting no time. It seems harmless in the moment, and then 45 videos later I realize I have been scrolling for way too long. The thing with addiction, though, is that it is something you crave. I would say I have a pretty addictive personality, and I can say I don't crave TikTok. When I am bored or doing nothing I open it up and scroll, but when I have something to do or am occupied, I am not sitting there craving TikTok.
I discussed this with my peers. They all had similar mentalities to me as TikTok not being addicting, but rather engaging and sucks you in. You can scroll and scroll and new content will continue to come up. I also think this can depend on the person, but I would not generalize TikTok as an addictive platform.

Answer 9

I agree with the claim that TikTok is addicting. TikTok mimics the addictive nature of casino/arcade games that provides its users with instant gratification. Similar to a slot machine, as you scroll on TikTok you don't know what video you will watch next. The videos are also kept at a short enough length to keep the attention span of viewers. A BBC news article explains that TikTok is addictive because it releases dopamine in your brain.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-62720657

Answer 10

Yes, tik Tok is addicting. Here is my source:

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-62720657

This article talks about how students in the UK were asked to delete the app during their exam period due to how addicting it was. "I've always found, out of any social media app, TikTok is the one I've found the most difficult to get away from," the Cardiff University student explained.