In early March, I mercilessly tapped the small gray “x” on the shaking app icon of TikTok. In doing so, I gained two things: a bit more storage in my phone, and a lot more time in my life. My two months without the app made me realize its troubling impact on adolescent minds – including my own. Now, as the United States considers a nationwide ban, it’s evident that this issue requires not just individual disengagement but broader public scrutiny and regulatory action.
TikTok reentered national discourse on January 18, 2025, when the platform ceased operations in the United States after its parent company, ByteDance, failed to comply with divestment requirements mandated by federal legislation passed in April 2024. Two days later, the newly re-elected President Donald Trump signed an executive order delaying the ban by 75 days, and later extended it to June 19 in late April. According to Reuters, Trump justified the delay and voiced his appreciation for the platform, which has over 170 million American users, noting its involvement in the 2024 presidential election by helping to connect him with young voters.
Despite the app’s popularity and Trump’s interest in preserving it as a political tool, TikTok poses serious risks to adolescents. It leads to addiction, shortens attention spans, disrupts academic environments and impairs interpersonal communication. The app is far from harmless entertainment – it’s a deliberately engineered platform that capitalizes on attention and behavioral tendencies with serious cognitive and social consequences.
The platform’s appeal lies in its endless, curated stream of short videos spanning every genre imaginable. A 2023 Pew Research survey found that 63% of teens aged 13 to 17 use TikTok, with 58% accessing it daily and 17% reporting almost constant use. A study conducted by Baylor University reveals that nearly one in four TikTok users exhibit signs of behavioral addiction to the app.
As a teenage girl, I fall within TikTok’s primary demographic – and, like many, I was heavily reliant on the app. I would instinctively open TikTok at any idle moment, only to realize I’d spent over thirty minutes watching Reddit stories edited over Subway Surfers gameplay. Since deleting the app, I began using my spare time for introspection. I’ve discovered that the simple act of doing nothing is one of the most invigorating pastimes. It allows me to reflect on my day and let my mind wander freely. I return from my breaks with a level of clarity and focus that I never would have found had I spent my time on TikTok.
Anna Lembke, an addiction specialist at Stanford, describes TikTok as a “dopamine slot machine.” The never-ending feed of brief clips gradually rewires the brain to constantly seek rapid rewards and novelty. Psychologist Gloria Mark tells Wired that young people have become so accustomed to highly stimulating, fast-paced content that it has become difficult for them “to pay attention to things that do not offer instant gratification.”
This is apparent in classes at school, where I frequently see peers scrolling through TikTok or playing video games during lessons. As one anonymous Form V student claims, “It actually helps me concentrate better.” However, this perceived improvement of focus is more likely the brain’s reaction to perpetual stimulation rather than actual engagement in the class. In the past couple of months, I’ve become less dependent on such stimuli and am less inclined to seek out distractions while completing academic tasks.
Removing TikTok also removed a barrier in my social life. Many of my interactions centered around sending TikToks to my friends or watching them together in silence. Without relying on external content as the foundation of our conversations, I’ve formed deeper, more meaningful relationships with my friends. While laughing over a “brain rot” meme was amusing at the moment, it came at the expense of genuine connections.
My TikTok exodus has made me a happier person, helped me focus in school and learn more about my friends – some of whom have followed suit and deleted the app themselves. Regardless of its widespread popularity or political value it holds for our president, TikTok’s impact is undeniably harmful. It’s time for our generation to reclaim both our time and our attention.
TikTok, your time is up.
