TikTok is great, but let’s return to long-form content
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
The potential reality of a TikTok ban caused many users to worry about the future of social media.
On the night of Jan. 19, millions of Americans were under the impression that TikTok—a social media app that allows users to create and share short videos—would be banned in their country. This was a scary prospect for many: those reliant on the app for income, those who prioritized it to spread awareness of real-world issues, and to a lesser degree, doomscrollers— those who spend excessive time scrolling due to Tiktok’s addictiveness— and at times negative nature.
The app went dark on that anticipated night for 12 hours, giving many US users, including myself, a scare that we would have to grieve our favorite app and endure life without it. Ultimately, the ban was delayed by the social media-backed claim of a potential executive order in the coming weeks. This verbal assurance allowed TikTok to restore connection to its user base within the US; or, at least, those who had not already deleted it.
Analyzing people's reactions a week before the ban, especially doomscrollers, is vital to understanding TikTok’s true impact on all its users, not just content creators. I immediately noticed people were frantically searching for a “replacement app,” turning to Lemons 8, Instagram Reels, and a Chinese app colloquially known as Rednote to find appropriate supplements. These platforms offered similar short-form content.
All this chaos made me question our functionality without TikTok— how did we fill our time before? I was not alone in this thinking; countless others on the app expressed their worry about how they would stay in the loop and entertain themselves (because taking on “traditional” hobbies like reading and painting was not an option on anyone’s radar).
The anxiety I felt from this potential ban was a bit troublesome; was I addicted? The app accompanied me when I watched a show, waited in line, and came home after a long day. I began to reflect further on how I felt about the app. On one hand, I loved it because it did not require me to spend energy searching for content, like one would have to do for a YouTube video or a television show.
On the other hand, that aspect is why I always felt unmotivated after spending time on it. While TikTok showed me videos I liked, I had to plumage through unsolicited rants and useless mall interviews to land on another video that interested me. Every time I opened the app, I plummeted into a dark jungle, and I had no idea what branch I would land on with every swipe.
My recent three-day break from TikTok (I know that number sounds silly, but it is fair to classify myself as an addict) allowed me to focus on more long-term content. I was back in the late 2010s, searching through videos on YouTube and learning new things from video essays and tutorials.
During this time, I found I was more productive. Many people claim that watching an entire episode or consuming a YouTube video is too much of a commitment for their busy day, but I found that giving myself twenty minutes to watch a story in its entirety satiated my procrastination enough to allow me to get back to work.
It is understandable why many assume TikTok is the more practical way to take a study break due to its videos averaging around 40 seconds. Still, in my experience, I would tell myself to stop after five videos and then spend the next 40 minutes mindlessly scrolling. The app, then, encroaches into my work time.
If this issue resonates with you, take a short break to focus on consuming more long-form content on other platforms. I am already more immersed in new shows (which I can not wait to talk about next week) and have learned several new skills I have been meaning to, thanks to YouTube.
TikTok is a big part of pop culture and may always play a part in your life. Even so, seeking out new means of entertainment may help weaken the gravitational pull you have to doomscrolling, help with your mood and productivity, and most importantly, heal that attention span notorious for being depleted by TikTok.