Life Without TikTok
As a member of Generation Z, I have kept up with most social media platforms and seen the way these apps grow and change. TikTok began growing in popularity around 2018 and has taken our generation by storm ever since. I had downloaded this app toward the beginning of its rise when everyone still thought it was a Music.ly comeback. My friends laughed at me in a joking way as I made foolish videos of us at lunch or in class. I enjoyed the amount of creativity the app allowed for and how you could make any kind of video you wanted aside from just lip syncing or dancing. Even though I never really posted much, it was just a fun app to scroll on or play around with.
As TikTok grew in the coming years, it’s dynamic changed greatly. It gave rise to thousands of influencers, trends, video genres, and much more. We went from mindlessly scrolling through silly and random videos to learning dances and keeping up with the latest micro-trends started by one viral video. Furthermore, videos about lifestyle advice, daily routines, and any topic you could imagine came to life on TikTok. Chatter of “Have you seen that TikTok…” would echo everywhere you went. TikTok had pioneered a new way of social media that had no limits and created a place where people could scroll for hours on end and never get bored.
After having TikTok for about 3 years, I decided to delete the app in the spring of 2022. As a freshman in college, I was going through a lot of change of learning who I am and who I wanted to be. For me, TikTok grew toxic not only because it consumed a good chunk of my time, but also because it became draining mentally. I was constantly comparing myself to these influencers and their “perfect” lives. I was tired of feeling like I had to keep up with the new trend each week or stay on top of the latest celebrity drama. Overall, it became an information overload that was clouding my brain and overtaking my thoughts at times when I had other things I needed to focus on.
Deleting the app, however, didn’t make these feelings or worries necessarily go away right away. In fact, it came with its own trials and tribulations. I began to feel like I was lagging behind in recent social news or as if I didn’t know anything about the latest trends. I felt like I was missing out because I couldn’t relate to conversations about TikTok. I got laughed at for being the friend that occasionally scrolls on Instagram Reels or has to open TikTok in a browser every time someone shares a video with me. However, over time, I’ve come to accept these minuscule setbacks. I don’t care if I miss out on the micro-trend this week, it’ll be gone next week. And I don’t mind not knowing who is dating who or what’s trending in food or workouts this week. These little facts used to sway my opinion and daily decisions so that I didn’t get to fully be myself.
After over a year without TikTok, I can confidently say deleting the app was the best decision for me. I am able to keep up with important news and trends through other forms of social media or through my peers without feeling overwhelmed. Whether you have TikTok or not, I believe it’s important to look out for your mental health and not be afraid to remove or distance yourself from aspects of your life that don’t feel healthy or beneficial. It may not be TikTok for you but maybe it’s a bad habit or even a bad friend. I could not tell you what TikTok is like right now and for all know I could have a completely different experience if I redownloaded it. However, as of now, I am very content in my decision and lifestyle without it.
