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TikTok is probably the most in-demand social media platform, but it reportedly affects our concentration negatively.
TikTok's Short Videos Suit Our Attention Span But Kill Concentration Ability
Many love TikTok due to the entertaining videos on the platform. Most importantly, many are drawn to it because the videos are short- lasting only between 6 and 30 seconds. This makes one feel they aren't spending too much time watching one clip as it is incredibly short. However, since the clips are short, users tend to watch more.
The sacrifice- or rather, the investment- is rather significant. These items were indeed made with an understanding of introductory animal psychology, but it's also starting to become clear that they are actively altering how our brains work.
Short-form media caters to our short attention spans, but excessive consumption makes it harder for us to focus on anything for prolonged periods. It's a vicious cycle. Short-form journalism goes to the point where we no longer want to wait for the "good" parts.
In a TikTok survey, almost half of consumers claimed that films longer than a minute were "stressful." But the truth is that we are becoming less and less able to focus, to the point where the impact of short-form media on our brains has been named TikTok Brain.
Short-form media's addictiveness goes beyond its shorter, easier-to-read duration. Because it is brief, more may be produced in a given amount of time. Our attention spans are further impacted by this abundance of entertainment options. More options equate to even less tolerance. The media scene has become much more competitive and fast-paced due to the abundance of intriguing new content.
A study titled "Accelerating Dynamics of Collective Attention" by researchers from the Technical University of Denmark revealed that the "increasing production and consumption of content" is the cause of a noticeable decline in attention span over time.
Our behavior in short-form media is reminiscent of kids at a candy store. That's just how people are. In turn, media that skips the middleman gives you more time to seek that dopamine high. It's an addiction designed to take advantage of the way our minds function.
What Is TikTok Brain?
TikTok brain is the detrimental effects of the platform, such as shorter attention spans and an increase in anxiety and sadness. Spending too much time on TikTok might have adverse effects and perhaps become addictive.
The social media platform has contributed to the growing popularity of short-form videos, with the ideal duration being between 21 and 34 seconds. Kids are finding it difficult to concentrate on a variety of tasks as a result, including reading a book, finishing homework, and watching a full-length film.
Because of the interest-based nature of the TikTok algorithm, users are shown content based on their past viewing history, regardless of whether they interacted with it or not. The algorithm can quickly identify their interests and hobbies, sense of humor, taste in music and fashion, sexual orientation, political opinions, and more. Although this tailored watching experience seems innocent, it can potentially lead viewers down a rabbit hole that can reinforce harmful beliefs and actions and inundate them with unhealthful content.
There isn't much that can match the kind of stimulation consumers get from watching videos on TikTok. It releases dopamine in their brains, like how narcotics work. Since the human brain does not fully mature until age 25 or 30, young people are more susceptible to addiction.
In contrast to random videos viewed by new users, personalized videos recommended by the algorithm activated the brain's reward regions more, according to a study on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. Additionally, it was shown that certain users had trouble controlling their watching habits and that brain scans of Chinese college students who watched tailored videos showed intensely engaged regions linked to addiction.
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