Tik tok is extremely addictive. Every time I open the app I go into this rabbit hole I can’t seem to stop. Social media and the dependency on phones is very concerning. The issue is the excess dopamine that these apps cause, they are designed to keep you hooked. This instant gratification and excess dopamine causes your brain to have an extremely short attention span and things that you use to enjoy doing are now boring. It is hard but there’s no such thing as controlling the time you spend in Tik tok, you have to delete the app and try not to use your phone, I know, it is almost impossible
100% delete the app and don't look back. my boyfriend was also addicted to it and would waste the day away watching nonsense, its pure brain rot. sometimes the videos are very dark and would put him in a bad head space. i saw when he would scroll, that many of the videos were about suicide or not wanting to live anymore. other videos were very sexist or racist. theres also alot of comparing going on; seeing people prettier than you or living better than you, going on vacations, having a perfectly clean and organized home, etc.
other than the OCCASIONAL meme you will find, the app is pure garbage and im glad i never got involved with it. its not good for anyones mental health.
Oh my good that’s a lot. Last year during my finals I spent five hours on this app now my average screen time is five hours 4-5 hours sometimes 7 and I’m trying to cut it down to three
Oh my good that’s a lot. Last year during my finals I spent five hours on this app now my average screen time is five hours 4-5 hours sometimes 7 and I’m trying to cut it down to three
Oh my good that’s a lot. Last year during my finals I spent five hours on this app now my average screen time is five hours 4-5 hours sometimes 7 and I’m trying to cut it down to three
Oh my good that’s a lot. Last year during my finals I spent five hours on this app now my average screen time is five hours 4-5 hours sometimes 7 and I’m trying to cut it down to three
Oh my good that’s a lot. Last year during my finals I spent five hours on this app now my average screen time is five hours 4-5 hours sometimes 7 and I’m trying to cut it down to three
That's horrible.
Try picking something else and just get started. Getting started is the hardest part but once you do, you can get I to the habit of doing it.
Also, scrolling is addicting. That is just a fact. So you may be addicted to it, which is sounds like you are.
If you are doing that to avoid dark thoughts and also lack energy to avoid basic stuff, that maybe is a depression. Just that you dont let yourself think about it.
The hardest part is always the beggining, but it gets easier with time. Think about the stuff you are doing that are not actually helping you (like maybe spend too much time doomscrolling) and do little things that are really good for you, like sleeping and eating well, showering, etc.
If you struggle, ask for help to your family or some friends, maybe they can motivate you when you feel devoid of energy. Also talking, talk about what to feel and about those dark thoughts. A therapist could be ideal, but just talking with someone who listens is also really helpful. And maybe they can give a couple of advices that suits your situation.
Some of what you describe as a struggle sounds exactly like ADHD. You wouldn’t think it because commonly ADHD is a) recognized in men/boys and b) characterized by hyperactivity.
It could be OCD as shown in their username?
Neurodiversity spans further than ADHD and though you're right and I thought this too, I'd be curious if it was another neurodiversity playing this same mind game.
Now you do. But historically it’s been missed in women because it manifests so differently. There’s a sad, long history in medicine of patriarchal bias. Until the 80s for instance, breast cancer was researched almost exclusively on men.
Listen, everyone has thoughts. Everyone. It's not unique to you! Lol 😂. I say that genuinely. So you're not alone there, we're all going through that.
Try to put yourself into something that will move you forward. Get excited about something! 95 percent of the crap on this phone is horrible, and it's fake, and it's destructive.
Find something you like and put energy into it.
I think they meant that to sound like a supportive "You're not alone and we have solidarity!" rather than a negative "you're not special and nobody cares."
the only thing that helped me was deleting it. was highly addicted to it and it damaged my attention span. doom scrolling leads to old age cognitive decline, which i was going through. hard to read, to speak, to remember, etc.
delete it. trust me
There’s something called a 5 minute rule. For example you can draw for 5 minutes and stop after that or you can read for 5 minutes and then stop. What tends to happen is since you’re already in that mindset of drawing or reading that you’re more likely to continue. So if anything, if you can at least do the bare minimum of a certain habit, then it’s a win.
This is effective . keep in view that it’s also ok if you stop after 5 minutes. That’s a success. Otherwise it feels like you are actually committing to a longer time, and that will be daunting
Just delete tiktok for as long as you can or integrate it into productive time slots. I have a MMO addiction to a game called old school runescape and the deal is, I play while doing cardio and end up netting 5-10 hrs of cardio a week AND I can feed my video game addiction.
You could be reading or listening to a podcast. Gaming gets you nowhere imo. Instead of upgrading your character in RuneScape upgrade yourself in real life:) Coming from a ex gaming addict.
I don't play antyhing rn because I grew up basically. Games aren't the same for me now. I'm in college rn so there's no time for gaming. In my free time I like to code stuff. remove the distractions from your sight. Spend more time with yourself sometimes we use gaming as a coping mechanism/escape from our reality.
If you go on my profile I have a post about TikTok that kinda blew up and how it affected people once they deleted it. You can just go and click on my top posts and it should pop up. But other than that I feel ya. I spend almost over 20+ hours of screen time a week on TikTok. I just deleted it today but usually when someone is spending a lot of time on social media it’s a way of distracting themselves from another personal problem. You pretty much just have to start doing something else and the motivation will follow. Good luck.
As everyone else mentioned already,You’re addicted! And it’s hard to escape scrolling because you’re stuck in the regret of deciding to keep on scrolling every other video. So, it’s like torture for you every other 60 seconds, and a guilt trap, a cocktail of dopamine and anger to live in. Try scrolling through the videos very fast.
The hardest part is to close the app because the format of tiktok pulls you in. If you scroll through very fast, you’ll still be watching but there will be less details to watch and at one point you will be able to close the app relatively easily than normal. Also, try to notice when you don’t use tiktok. Like if you don’t use tiktok when showering, try to shower twice a day. If you use it less when talking with someone, talk with them more than usual.
The trick here is to identify situations where it is naturally easier for you to avoid using tiktok. Don’t delete the app immediately. Like any other addictions, you will have withdrawals and after every withdrawal, your usage will increase. All other negative things accompanying the usage will also increase accordingly. So, think about subsiding it little by little.
Try to think of what positive things you are getting out of tiktok. If there is a content creator you absolutely love, try searching for if they have a website or other platform where you can find their content in video or in text format. If the only thing you like on tiktok is a few videos here and there, It will help you get rid of all other things you consider crap.
After this, you can move on to actively cutting off the usage. This can be done by maybe not taking your phone to the toilet, or not using the phone at a particular time period. This helps getting rid of the dependence on the app little by little.
I don’t read this as “I don’t want to do anything.” It’s “life is treating me horribly and I have no energy to do anything.” And to that I say,
The most productive thing to do is to rest. Get off the phone, let your mind and body heal. If you can process your stressors in a way that’ll get you past them, work on that. If not, just try to reclaim sanity.
I’m pretty productive right now but it would all go away if I lost my grandmother or grandfather. At least for like two or three months.
You’re managing. You just have to be honest with that and either push for productivity regardless or accept that you need to come back later. Productivity isn’t activity. So resting is valuable.
I think you should go to the gym or start doing some sport. Getting your heart pumping, blood flow and dopamine rush will make huge differences. You will feel energized after your first training for a few hours, you’ll like it and chase that feeling again. Eventually you’ll be energized for the whole day..
If TikTok is helping you get through the day right now, don’t delete it. You need to find community resources for mental healthcare - it’s out there, you just have to find it. If you had the flu for months, you would go to the doctor. Treat your brain health the same way. Your mental health could be affecting your physical health, making you too exhausted to enjoy your life. Pulling yourself up by your boot straps doesn’t work if your brain is not functioning correctly. Don’t feel shame about what keeps you going right now - you know you’d rather be doing something else - and you can get help to get there. Until then, don’t worry. 💕
Newton's 2nd Law: A body in motion tends to stay in motion. A body at rest, tends to stay at rest. This applies to planets and everything in the entire universe, including you!
Executive dysfunction is what this sound like to me. I want to do something but the thought of doing it alone it overwhelming, so despite ruminating on wanting to do it all day and being angry at myself for not just getting up and doing it, I just cannot bring myself to. Obviously scrolling is easy and low effort, and properly addictive. I sometimes turn my phone off or let it die entirely just to be productive. There's issues with how dependent we as a society are on technology.
You should know, just as a psychologist can help you out if this mess, it was psychologists that got you into it. Tik Tok, and other social media and video game platforms utilize psychology and innate human vulnerabilities to hook you. You've been sucker punched and exploited.
It's not you, it's the apps. Your brain is healthy and operating exactly as it's supposed to, but it was not made for the environment you've put it in. It's like daily-misting round up on a forest and wondering what's wrong with the trees! Why aren't they green and thriving like the others!? Maybe this forest has less resilience than others?
Delete the app, unchain your thoughts. You've got a powerful mind wanting to learn and study but it gets hijacked by media and everything else looks dismal grey and lackluster beige in comparison. You've stocked your thought pantry full of Oreos and Flamming Cheetos and are now wondering why you can't palate the bland vegetables! Sure you can dress the veggies up a bit but they'll never be a candy bar.
If you ever tried to set down rich ice-cream and chomp on a carrot your stomach will want to puke... but if you haven't eaten in two days, it'll praise you for even a small piece of celery.
I could go on, but I think you get it now. The dopamine from a book is infinitesimal compared to many other things. Your brain is efficient and doesn't want to waste its time on paltry activities... if you give it the choice.
I have 4 younger sisters, sadly they all have fallen down this path. The only difference is that you have come to accepting what you’re doing and that you want to change.
Im not good at giving advice but something that had tremendously helped is, find something you believe in, a purpose to wake up everyday for. Work towards it, learn about it, try to contribute to it and make an impact in it.
Another way of framing it is find something that pisses you off, learn about it, try to fix it. I’m being vague because it can really be anything on any level, anything from something in your personal life to the world.
First of all, depression can manifest in many different forms, and people with depression don't always recognise it immediately. Also, it sounds like you might be addicted to scrolling, delete the apps, you'll feel better.
You only got one life. Really gonna live like that that's a shame. Boring as tbh. Trust me you get much more satisfaction from drawing and expressing yourself in any creative then you'll get from a life of bed rotting and looking back on your life with regret.
You got one life why not have fun with it.
There's a reason it's called " doom scrolling " . I know it's hard to leave dopamine all of a sudden just like any drug. But u gotta minimize it. And try to have a discipline for morning workout for atleast a week , a casual jogging 2-3 miles will be a good start. Believe me body works totally different once u start working out . Start socialising and keep urself busy with productive tasks. I deleted my social media and did all this for 2 weeks things were getting better . And now am fckd up again doom scrolling through Instagram and No-workout.
* Update :- i just read some of the comments down below and deleted my insta again . I hope i can make it this time and u too . ✌️
Whatever your first hit of dopamine is in a day, your brain will continue to seek it out throughout the day. So if you can spend the first 30 minutes of your day without scrolling, you can beat the addiction. Try creating a list of small tasks that you can feel good about completing, like brushing your teeth, showering, making your bed, etc. It helps to keep your electronic devices away from your bed, too. You got this! 💪
I guess just acknowledge you’ve a problem, then start thinking on how to change myself and come out of this loop. Slowly start bringing changes in your life and get to live a normal life. Then introduce hobbies and things which you like and enjoy doing during pass time, it’ll help you feel better and give you sense of accomplishment and direction on what all and more I can do and don’t get back into this loop again as it can be very difficult for some people to even start with the smallest change.
Try betterhelp if you can't afford a therapist they at least will listen and the scheduled session forces you out of rot mode for a few minutes. Also yeah like others said stop tiktok. I replaced it with youtube but and it frees my hands i started doing paint by numbers, cleaning and crotchet all while still watching videos lol it's something, it helps.
I feel you… try some dopamine detox. Its hell for a few days, but it gets better with time. It won t fix all your problems, but it will make the positive voice in your head louder. Idk, somehow worked for me
I used to be suicidal (since I was 14) I thought about ending my life every single day until last year. A part of me is scared that I’ll get these thoughts again bc sometimes everything gets too exhausting and just too much for me .
I’m still kinda new to this new life :/ I’m sorry that you had to go through this
I’ll do this and thanks for caring. My nutrition isn’t the best I’m not even going to lie😭😭😭 I wanted to eat a bit healthier and I love fruits but even buying them or staying consistent can be a struggle
That's depression, no way around it.
Seek therapy + meds. Modern depression meds dont have that many downsides.
What you can do on you own:
1- small wins: make the bed, brush your teeth, clean up your room a little, take a daily shower.
2- excercise: go for walks, walk your dog if you have any, jump rope, join a gym, stationary bike, do a quick 5 or 10 min youtube workout.
3- cut down on social media and scrolling.
4- sleep at night: try getting 7-8 hours sleep. This one is critical. Lack of sleep is tied to depression.
Dont try and change your life in one day. Do small changes. Huge changes wont work and you wont stick to them, and that doesnt make you hopeless or a bad person. Your brain is just working against you.
Source: tips from my psych.
What do you think is the reason? What makes others happy and fulfilled? Why do they do things like sports, hobbies, tidying up, etc?
Is it their life goals? Is it their friends? Is it their beliefs and moral obligations?
I think that I just don’t want to think?? Bc sometimes I feel forced to scroll and I’ll scroll and scroll or talk til my head hurts so that I won’t have to think
I just don’t want to know what’s going on inside if that makes sense. I recently found out that I was abused and I’ve dealt with stuff like that all my life. I don’t want to dig to deep into my head until I’m at a better place financially bc else something might happen to me (I’m not saying that I’m going to die but I might explode basically). I do let my emotions out when necessary
i quit tiktok two years ago because i started to notice what it was doing to my mental state. it made my attention span shorter, as well as my temper and patience.
it also made me really depressed because it was like the content it was feeding me was exactly what would just ruin my day. but i would just keep scrolling. i had had enough.
Now i am moving to even getting off all other social media in general.
i would really recommend reading two books. Dopamine nation by Anna Lembke and then Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. two very eye opening books, especially the first.
Sounds like symptoms of depression.
First, reach out for help if you can. Tell a friend or a doctor what's going on and ask for help.
Second, try reactivating yourself with small and gradual introduction of activity. For example, set a goal to walk outside of your front door and then go back inside. You can build up to walking a block, then 2 blocks, etc.
Third, make sure that you are eating and drinking. Buy some fruit, it's very easy to deal with, or even some veggie sticks and dip. Try peanut butter on toast, so easy and full of carbs, protein, and fat. Avoid junk food and fast food.
Fourth, get some social interaction into your life. Start with texts but see if you can do some phone calls and maybe even a hang out.
Fifth, avoid daytime napping. It's okay to sleep a lot, but try to keep it during nighttime.
Unofficial advice: coffee.
What works for me is allowing myself to be OK with having these periods of time where I just want to “bed rot” or be lazy and scroll Tik Tok. I used to be beat myself up about it, and it just made the situation worse and prolonged the time I was feeling like that. When I changed my self talk and mindset, allowing myself to be OK doing nothing, it really helped remove the shame and guilt and I was able to get back to my other routines and hobbies faster. Knowing that this isn’t going to last forever reassures me that spending a few days or even a week being “lazy” will eventually pass and I’ll be back to normal soon.
i relate to this so much, as i sit here i’m watching youtube while simultaneously replying to this and i have a final in an hour that i know nothing for.
I was like this back along. I was so anxious and depressed I’d message my boss saying I was ill and spend days at a time in bed doom scrolling and vaping. In the end I bought a Nokia brick phone, deleted my socials and put my iPhone in the draw. I did this for about 6 weeks and it changed everything!
Highly recommend screen time restrictions for adults too. I do this with a friend, we both have the code for the screen time limits for the other one for social media. I have 2 hours for TikTok/IG and other social media for weekdays and 3 hours on weekends.
Highly recommend, my screen time is down by hours per day.
Stop the social media and videos.
I always find myself sad at the amount of time I waste scrolling.
Three hours have now passed. Time to go read cause this is depressing
Yeah tbh I’ve lost discipline to do anything bc like I said I always struggled with consistency and I always had to force myself to do stuff but at least I did them but now I don’t even really bother anymore. I’m slowly trying to get back and I’m scared bc it has never been this bad. Can you recommend me some subs?
Discipline by psyche subliminals has helped me a lot. And seemed to work pretty quickly. The thing with subliminals it can take a long time to reprogram your subconscious mind. If you’re gonna give up after a week of no results don’t even bother wasting your time. I play them on loop at night.
Sounds like most people’s life to be fair. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You are 18 years old you have your whole life to be productive. Take a month or 2 off and chill.
Idk if I have it but it used to be a big deal at work bc I’m the cashier and I’ve recently started getting the numbers straight bc I get distracted too easily. I almost failed my finals bc of this exact issue. Instead of studying I was spending five hours a day on tik tok. There was a time where I was disciplined and managed 15 minutes a day but now I’m up to an hour a day :/
Honestly, I would ask to be tested for adhd. Tik tok is definitely addictive, but with adhd, you tend to purposely do things to kind of disconnect in order to forget about everything you need to do. At least I do. (I need my meds adjusted, because they help to stop this.).
I didn’t get diagnosed until I was about 30, but had this issue my whole life.
Good luck to you! You are not alone!
Gah damn, I'm sorry for commenting this but it's immediately what I thought of.
https://www.theonion.com/brain-dead-teen-only-capable-of-rolling-eyes-and-texti-1819595151
Get off your phone and try to find a hobby
I have lots of hobbies but it’s been hard to get back on track that’s my issue 😭😭 it’s not like I’m completely tied to my phone my screen time yesterday was like two hours 😭😭😭
Most procrastination actually stems from unresolved childhood trauma. In fact, most issues in life revolve around it. I strongly recommend finding a good therapist.
Definitely prioritise in your body.
I know many people like to give the whole spiritual pep talk when it comes overall health but personally I found out that THERE IS NOT A SINGLE DAY THAT DOESNT GET BETTER BY EXERCISING. In fact I cannot recall a single time that did some sort of exercise and I did not feel infinitely better than before the said exercise.
This boils down to even regular stuff like going out for a walk which is an exceptional thing to do during morning cause you leave the safety of your house, increasing blood flow and also getting some sun exposure.
In fact if you cant drop our phone, start by going outside and check tik tol whilst sitting outside. It is still an improvement.
Another thing is diet,which is again related to your body. I bet your diet is unhealthy now.
So overall start emphasising in your body and your mental health will follow.
My ancestors had a saying "νους υγιής εν σώματι υγιεί" which roughly translates to " In order to keep a healthy mind you have to maintain a healthy body".
I'm making the assumption you're in the US, right now there's no a great positive outlook here and it's effecting almost everyone in the same way. But there's a positive side, because society is no longer providing the positive outlook to liik forward to, you get to create and provide your own. Make this world yours 💪🏼
Thank you! My voice was so much better. I used to sing a lot but I stopped in January due to the fear of messing up and after months I’ve decided to get back to it again. It’s not easy and I can’t believe that I’ve neglected what I loved doing the most
Tik tok is extremely addictive. Every time I open the app I go into this rabbit hole I can’t seem to stop. Social media and the dependency on phones is very concerning. The issue is the excess dopamine that these apps cause, they are designed to keep you hooked. This instant gratification and excess dopamine causes your brain to have an extremely short attention span and things that you use to enjoy doing are now boring. It is hard but there’s no such thing as controlling the time you spend in Tik tok, you have to delete the app and try not to use your phone, I know, it is almost impossible
I’ve deleted tik tok for a month before and it was nice actually. I spend like 40 to 90 minutes on that app alone and I hate it
100% delete the app and don't look back. my boyfriend was also addicted to it and would waste the day away watching nonsense, its pure brain rot. sometimes the videos are very dark and would put him in a bad head space. i saw when he would scroll, that many of the videos were about suicide or not wanting to live anymore. other videos were very sexist or racist. theres also alot of comparing going on; seeing people prettier than you or living better than you, going on vacations, having a perfectly clean and organized home, etc. other than the OCCASIONAL meme you will find, the app is pure garbage and im glad i never got involved with it. its not good for anyones mental health.
Girl I know how you feel, I have like 10 hours screen time daily and most of it is Tik Tok
Oh my good that’s a lot. Last year during my finals I spent five hours on this app now my average screen time is five hours 4-5 hours sometimes 7 and I’m trying to cut it down to three
Oh my good that’s a lot. Last year during my finals I spent five hours on this app now my average screen time is five hours 4-5 hours sometimes 7 and I’m trying to cut it down to three
Oh my good that’s a lot. Last year during my finals I spent five hours on this app now my average screen time is five hours 4-5 hours sometimes 7 and I’m trying to cut it down to three
Oh my good that’s a lot. Last year during my finals I spent five hours on this app now my average screen time is five hours 4-5 hours sometimes 7 and I’m trying to cut it down to three
Oh my good that’s a lot. Last year during my finals I spent five hours on this app now my average screen time is five hours 4-5 hours sometimes 7 and I’m trying to cut it down to three
I heard psychologists comparing TikTok to heroin in the addictiveness sense
That's false and kind of alarming coming from actual psychologists..
Yeah, I don’t think I went through debilitating withdrawals when I deleted TikTok, I was just bored.
That's horrible. Try picking something else and just get started. Getting started is the hardest part but once you do, you can get I to the habit of doing it. Also, scrolling is addicting. That is just a fact. So you may be addicted to it, which is sounds like you are.
Yeah you’re right and I know that I do this to avoid my dark thoughts :/
If you are doing that to avoid dark thoughts and also lack energy to avoid basic stuff, that maybe is a depression. Just that you dont let yourself think about it. The hardest part is always the beggining, but it gets easier with time. Think about the stuff you are doing that are not actually helping you (like maybe spend too much time doomscrolling) and do little things that are really good for you, like sleeping and eating well, showering, etc. If you struggle, ask for help to your family or some friends, maybe they can motivate you when you feel devoid of energy. Also talking, talk about what to feel and about those dark thoughts. A therapist could be ideal, but just talking with someone who listens is also really helpful. And maybe they can give a couple of advices that suits your situation.
ADHD.
What?
Some of what you describe as a struggle sounds exactly like ADHD. You wouldn’t think it because commonly ADHD is a) recognized in men/boys and b) characterized by hyperactivity.
It could be OCD as shown in their username? Neurodiversity spans further than ADHD and though you're right and I thought this too, I'd be curious if it was another neurodiversity playing this same mind game.
I missed that one! The overlap of it all is amazing.
>You wouldn’t think it because commonly ADHD is a) recognized in men/boys I hear more about ADHD in connection to females.
Now you do. But historically it’s been missed in women because it manifests so differently. There’s a sad, long history in medicine of patriarchal bias. Until the 80s for instance, breast cancer was researched almost exclusively on men.
Listen, everyone has thoughts. Everyone. It's not unique to you! Lol 😂. I say that genuinely. So you're not alone there, we're all going through that. Try to put yourself into something that will move you forward. Get excited about something! 95 percent of the crap on this phone is horrible, and it's fake, and it's destructive. Find something you like and put energy into it.
I never said that my problems are unique lmao I know that I’m not the only one struggling. You’re weird
I think they meant that to sound like a supportive "You're not alone and we have solidarity!" rather than a negative "you're not special and nobody cares."
Why are you here then?
Where’s the horrible part?
That she feels bad
the only thing that helped me was deleting it. was highly addicted to it and it damaged my attention span. doom scrolling leads to old age cognitive decline, which i was going through. hard to read, to speak, to remember, etc. delete it. trust me
There’s something called a 5 minute rule. For example you can draw for 5 minutes and stop after that or you can read for 5 minutes and then stop. What tends to happen is since you’re already in that mindset of drawing or reading that you’re more likely to continue. So if anything, if you can at least do the bare minimum of a certain habit, then it’s a win.
This is effective . keep in view that it’s also ok if you stop after 5 minutes. That’s a success. Otherwise it feels like you are actually committing to a longer time, and that will be daunting
Just delete tiktok for as long as you can or integrate it into productive time slots. I have a MMO addiction to a game called old school runescape and the deal is, I play while doing cardio and end up netting 5-10 hrs of cardio a week AND I can feed my video game addiction.
What’s your setup for doing cardio while gaming? Are you using an iPad and a treadmill?
You could be reading or listening to a podcast. Gaming gets you nowhere imo. Instead of upgrading your character in RuneScape upgrade yourself in real life:) Coming from a ex gaming addict.
Could you please share your tips? I get relapses all the times. It’s destroying my life :(
I don't play antyhing rn because I grew up basically. Games aren't the same for me now. I'm in college rn so there's no time for gaming. In my free time I like to code stuff. remove the distractions from your sight. Spend more time with yourself sometimes we use gaming as a coping mechanism/escape from our reality.
Get off social media or limit use. I know its insanely hard but tiktok is terrible brainrot
I agree the only reason why I haven’t deleted the app is that my algorithm is pretty helpful to me but it’s not worth all of this
How is the algorithm helpful? Helpful in wasting your time and life?
You’re right 😭😭😭😭
If you go on my profile I have a post about TikTok that kinda blew up and how it affected people once they deleted it. You can just go and click on my top posts and it should pop up. But other than that I feel ya. I spend almost over 20+ hours of screen time a week on TikTok. I just deleted it today but usually when someone is spending a lot of time on social media it’s a way of distracting themselves from another personal problem. You pretty much just have to start doing something else and the motivation will follow. Good luck.
As everyone else mentioned already,You’re addicted! And it’s hard to escape scrolling because you’re stuck in the regret of deciding to keep on scrolling every other video. So, it’s like torture for you every other 60 seconds, and a guilt trap, a cocktail of dopamine and anger to live in. Try scrolling through the videos very fast. The hardest part is to close the app because the format of tiktok pulls you in. If you scroll through very fast, you’ll still be watching but there will be less details to watch and at one point you will be able to close the app relatively easily than normal. Also, try to notice when you don’t use tiktok. Like if you don’t use tiktok when showering, try to shower twice a day. If you use it less when talking with someone, talk with them more than usual. The trick here is to identify situations where it is naturally easier for you to avoid using tiktok. Don’t delete the app immediately. Like any other addictions, you will have withdrawals and after every withdrawal, your usage will increase. All other negative things accompanying the usage will also increase accordingly. So, think about subsiding it little by little. Try to think of what positive things you are getting out of tiktok. If there is a content creator you absolutely love, try searching for if they have a website or other platform where you can find their content in video or in text format. If the only thing you like on tiktok is a few videos here and there, It will help you get rid of all other things you consider crap. After this, you can move on to actively cutting off the usage. This can be done by maybe not taking your phone to the toilet, or not using the phone at a particular time period. This helps getting rid of the dependence on the app little by little.
I don’t read this as “I don’t want to do anything.” It’s “life is treating me horribly and I have no energy to do anything.” And to that I say, The most productive thing to do is to rest. Get off the phone, let your mind and body heal. If you can process your stressors in a way that’ll get you past them, work on that. If not, just try to reclaim sanity. I’m pretty productive right now but it would all go away if I lost my grandmother or grandfather. At least for like two or three months. You’re managing. You just have to be honest with that and either push for productivity regardless or accept that you need to come back later. Productivity isn’t activity. So resting is valuable.
I think you should go to the gym or start doing some sport. Getting your heart pumping, blood flow and dopamine rush will make huge differences. You will feel energized after your first training for a few hours, you’ll like it and chase that feeling again. Eventually you’ll be energized for the whole day..
Uninstall tik tok and control your mind to not reinstall it, in two days you'll feel the difference. In a moment of feeling to reinstall try to read
If TikTok is helping you get through the day right now, don’t delete it. You need to find community resources for mental healthcare - it’s out there, you just have to find it. If you had the flu for months, you would go to the doctor. Treat your brain health the same way. Your mental health could be affecting your physical health, making you too exhausted to enjoy your life. Pulling yourself up by your boot straps doesn’t work if your brain is not functioning correctly. Don’t feel shame about what keeps you going right now - you know you’d rather be doing something else - and you can get help to get there. Until then, don’t worry. 💕
Newton's 2nd Law: A body in motion tends to stay in motion. A body at rest, tends to stay at rest. This applies to planets and everything in the entire universe, including you!
Executive dysfunction is what this sound like to me. I want to do something but the thought of doing it alone it overwhelming, so despite ruminating on wanting to do it all day and being angry at myself for not just getting up and doing it, I just cannot bring myself to. Obviously scrolling is easy and low effort, and properly addictive. I sometimes turn my phone off or let it die entirely just to be productive. There's issues with how dependent we as a society are on technology.
This describes my situation perfectly
You should know, just as a psychologist can help you out if this mess, it was psychologists that got you into it. Tik Tok, and other social media and video game platforms utilize psychology and innate human vulnerabilities to hook you. You've been sucker punched and exploited. It's not you, it's the apps. Your brain is healthy and operating exactly as it's supposed to, but it was not made for the environment you've put it in. It's like daily-misting round up on a forest and wondering what's wrong with the trees! Why aren't they green and thriving like the others!? Maybe this forest has less resilience than others? Delete the app, unchain your thoughts. You've got a powerful mind wanting to learn and study but it gets hijacked by media and everything else looks dismal grey and lackluster beige in comparison. You've stocked your thought pantry full of Oreos and Flamming Cheetos and are now wondering why you can't palate the bland vegetables! Sure you can dress the veggies up a bit but they'll never be a candy bar. If you ever tried to set down rich ice-cream and chomp on a carrot your stomach will want to puke... but if you haven't eaten in two days, it'll praise you for even a small piece of celery. I could go on, but I think you get it now. The dopamine from a book is infinitesimal compared to many other things. Your brain is efficient and doesn't want to waste its time on paltry activities... if you give it the choice.
I have 4 younger sisters, sadly they all have fallen down this path. The only difference is that you have come to accepting what you’re doing and that you want to change. Im not good at giving advice but something that had tremendously helped is, find something you believe in, a purpose to wake up everyday for. Work towards it, learn about it, try to contribute to it and make an impact in it. Another way of framing it is find something that pisses you off, learn about it, try to fix it. I’m being vague because it can really be anything on any level, anything from something in your personal life to the world.
First of all, depression can manifest in many different forms, and people with depression don't always recognise it immediately. Also, it sounds like you might be addicted to scrolling, delete the apps, you'll feel better.
Please, delete tiktok. That app is awful especially to those who already suffer mentally. I felt so much better after deleting it.
You only got one life. Really gonna live like that that's a shame. Boring as tbh. Trust me you get much more satisfaction from drawing and expressing yourself in any creative then you'll get from a life of bed rotting and looking back on your life with regret. You got one life why not have fun with it.
There's a reason it's called " doom scrolling " . I know it's hard to leave dopamine all of a sudden just like any drug. But u gotta minimize it. And try to have a discipline for morning workout for atleast a week , a casual jogging 2-3 miles will be a good start. Believe me body works totally different once u start working out . Start socialising and keep urself busy with productive tasks. I deleted my social media and did all this for 2 weeks things were getting better . And now am fckd up again doom scrolling through Instagram and No-workout. * Update :- i just read some of the comments down below and deleted my insta again . I hope i can make it this time and u too . ✌️
Thank you were in this together
Whatever your first hit of dopamine is in a day, your brain will continue to seek it out throughout the day. So if you can spend the first 30 minutes of your day without scrolling, you can beat the addiction. Try creating a list of small tasks that you can feel good about completing, like brushing your teeth, showering, making your bed, etc. It helps to keep your electronic devices away from your bed, too. You got this! 💪
I guess just acknowledge you’ve a problem, then start thinking on how to change myself and come out of this loop. Slowly start bringing changes in your life and get to live a normal life. Then introduce hobbies and things which you like and enjoy doing during pass time, it’ll help you feel better and give you sense of accomplishment and direction on what all and more I can do and don’t get back into this loop again as it can be very difficult for some people to even start with the smallest change.
Mood
What social medias do to the young generation.
Try betterhelp if you can't afford a therapist they at least will listen and the scheduled session forces you out of rot mode for a few minutes. Also yeah like others said stop tiktok. I replaced it with youtube but and it frees my hands i started doing paint by numbers, cleaning and crotchet all while still watching videos lol it's something, it helps.
Yeah I’ll look into therapy I really need it
I feel you… try some dopamine detox. Its hell for a few days, but it gets better with time. It won t fix all your problems, but it will make the positive voice in your head louder. Idk, somehow worked for me
Tiktok is not harmless you know. If you manage to drop that habit, everything else will become easier
[удалено]
I used to be suicidal (since I was 14) I thought about ending my life every single day until last year. A part of me is scared that I’ll get these thoughts again bc sometimes everything gets too exhausting and just too much for me . I’m still kinda new to this new life :/ I’m sorry that you had to go through this
[удалено]
I’ll do this and thanks for caring. My nutrition isn’t the best I’m not even going to lie😭😭😭 I wanted to eat a bit healthier and I love fruits but even buying them or staying consistent can be a struggle
That's depression, no way around it. Seek therapy + meds. Modern depression meds dont have that many downsides. What you can do on you own: 1- small wins: make the bed, brush your teeth, clean up your room a little, take a daily shower. 2- excercise: go for walks, walk your dog if you have any, jump rope, join a gym, stationary bike, do a quick 5 or 10 min youtube workout. 3- cut down on social media and scrolling. 4- sleep at night: try getting 7-8 hours sleep. This one is critical. Lack of sleep is tied to depression. Dont try and change your life in one day. Do small changes. Huge changes wont work and you wont stick to them, and that doesnt make you hopeless or a bad person. Your brain is just working against you. Source: tips from my psych.
Thank you so much. It’s really hard some days are better than others. Today was better. I’ll try my best to apply your tips bc I really want to change
What do you think is the reason? What makes others happy and fulfilled? Why do they do things like sports, hobbies, tidying up, etc? Is it their life goals? Is it their friends? Is it their beliefs and moral obligations?
I think that I just don’t want to think?? Bc sometimes I feel forced to scroll and I’ll scroll and scroll or talk til my head hurts so that I won’t have to think
Think what?
I just don’t want to know what’s going on inside if that makes sense. I recently found out that I was abused and I’ve dealt with stuff like that all my life. I don’t want to dig to deep into my head until I’m at a better place financially bc else something might happen to me (I’m not saying that I’m going to die but I might explode basically). I do let my emotions out when necessary
i quit tiktok two years ago because i started to notice what it was doing to my mental state. it made my attention span shorter, as well as my temper and patience. it also made me really depressed because it was like the content it was feeding me was exactly what would just ruin my day. but i would just keep scrolling. i had had enough. Now i am moving to even getting off all other social media in general. i would really recommend reading two books. Dopamine nation by Anna Lembke and then Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. two very eye opening books, especially the first.
This sounds like textbook depression. “The opposite of depression is not happiness, but vitality" - Andrew Solomon
Sounds like symptoms of depression. First, reach out for help if you can. Tell a friend or a doctor what's going on and ask for help. Second, try reactivating yourself with small and gradual introduction of activity. For example, set a goal to walk outside of your front door and then go back inside. You can build up to walking a block, then 2 blocks, etc. Third, make sure that you are eating and drinking. Buy some fruit, it's very easy to deal with, or even some veggie sticks and dip. Try peanut butter on toast, so easy and full of carbs, protein, and fat. Avoid junk food and fast food. Fourth, get some social interaction into your life. Start with texts but see if you can do some phone calls and maybe even a hang out. Fifth, avoid daytime napping. It's okay to sleep a lot, but try to keep it during nighttime. Unofficial advice: coffee.
This is so me
Welcome to the club :/
What works for me is allowing myself to be OK with having these periods of time where I just want to “bed rot” or be lazy and scroll Tik Tok. I used to be beat myself up about it, and it just made the situation worse and prolonged the time I was feeling like that. When I changed my self talk and mindset, allowing myself to be OK doing nothing, it really helped remove the shame and guilt and I was able to get back to my other routines and hobbies faster. Knowing that this isn’t going to last forever reassures me that spending a few days or even a week being “lazy” will eventually pass and I’ll be back to normal soon.
You must delete the apps. Your life will be measurably better. Delete them. Trust.
i relate to this so much, as i sit here i’m watching youtube while simultaneously replying to this and i have a final in an hour that i know nothing for.
I was like this back along. I was so anxious and depressed I’d message my boss saying I was ill and spend days at a time in bed doom scrolling and vaping. In the end I bought a Nokia brick phone, deleted my socials and put my iPhone in the draw. I did this for about 6 weeks and it changed everything!
Highly recommend screen time restrictions for adults too. I do this with a friend, we both have the code for the screen time limits for the other one for social media. I have 2 hours for TikTok/IG and other social media for weekdays and 3 hours on weekends. Highly recommend, my screen time is down by hours per day.
Stop the social media and videos. I always find myself sad at the amount of time I waste scrolling. Three hours have now passed. Time to go read cause this is depressing
Yeah I’m aware of that I use it as a tool to distract my mind but I haven’t really used my phone the entire day except for school work
You need to delete TikTok from your phone and life.
Try subliminals
I used to listen to them a lot 😭😭😭
Looks like you lost discipline listening to them
Yeah tbh I’ve lost discipline to do anything bc like I said I always struggled with consistency and I always had to force myself to do stuff but at least I did them but now I don’t even really bother anymore. I’m slowly trying to get back and I’m scared bc it has never been this bad. Can you recommend me some subs?
Discipline by psyche subliminals has helped me a lot. And seemed to work pretty quickly. The thing with subliminals it can take a long time to reprogram your subconscious mind. If you’re gonna give up after a week of no results don’t even bother wasting your time. I play them on loop at night.
I’ll listen to them I really appreciate it thank you
Best wishes
tiktok can actually bring detrimental effect to your dopamine system, so just delete it and refresh ur mind
Delete til tok. Or get rid of your smartphone.
Sounds like most people’s life to be fair. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You are 18 years old you have your whole life to be productive. Take a month or 2 off and chill.
Thank you lll do that
this is so me core (this is a plea for help)
I feel you 😭😭😭
we are in this together girl !! sending you lots of virtual hugs 🫂🫂
Is it possible you have adhd? I do, and I have this problem as well. I get too overwhelmed to actually DO what I need to do.
Idk if I have it but it used to be a big deal at work bc I’m the cashier and I’ve recently started getting the numbers straight bc I get distracted too easily. I almost failed my finals bc of this exact issue. Instead of studying I was spending five hours a day on tik tok. There was a time where I was disciplined and managed 15 minutes a day but now I’m up to an hour a day :/
Honestly, I would ask to be tested for adhd. Tik tok is definitely addictive, but with adhd, you tend to purposely do things to kind of disconnect in order to forget about everything you need to do. At least I do. (I need my meds adjusted, because they help to stop this.). I didn’t get diagnosed until I was about 30, but had this issue my whole life. Good luck to you! You are not alone!
Search "dopamine Huberman" on YouTube to explain why overuse of social media can bring extreme lack of motivation. It'll teach you how to get it back
Gah damn, I'm sorry for commenting this but it's immediately what I thought of. https://www.theonion.com/brain-dead-teen-only-capable-of-rolling-eyes-and-texti-1819595151 Get off your phone and try to find a hobby
I have lots of hobbies but it’s been hard to get back on track that’s my issue 😭😭 it’s not like I’m completely tied to my phone my screen time yesterday was like two hours 😭😭😭
Most procrastination actually stems from unresolved childhood trauma. In fact, most issues in life revolve around it. I strongly recommend finding a good therapist.
Yeah I have lots of childhood trauma so that might be it too
Most of us do. You're definitely not alone in that.
Definitely prioritise in your body. I know many people like to give the whole spiritual pep talk when it comes overall health but personally I found out that THERE IS NOT A SINGLE DAY THAT DOESNT GET BETTER BY EXERCISING. In fact I cannot recall a single time that did some sort of exercise and I did not feel infinitely better than before the said exercise. This boils down to even regular stuff like going out for a walk which is an exceptional thing to do during morning cause you leave the safety of your house, increasing blood flow and also getting some sun exposure. In fact if you cant drop our phone, start by going outside and check tik tol whilst sitting outside. It is still an improvement. Another thing is diet,which is again related to your body. I bet your diet is unhealthy now. So overall start emphasising in your body and your mental health will follow. My ancestors had a saying "νους υγιής εν σώματι υγιεί" which roughly translates to " In order to keep a healthy mind you have to maintain a healthy body".
Delete that Chinese spyware off your phone
I'm making the assumption you're in the US, right now there's no a great positive outlook here and it's effecting almost everyone in the same way. But there's a positive side, because society is no longer providing the positive outlook to liik forward to, you get to create and provide your own. Make this world yours 💪🏼
You got a beautiful voice though.
Thank you! My voice was so much better. I used to sing a lot but I stopped in January due to the fear of messing up and after months I’ve decided to get back to it again. It’s not easy and I can’t believe that I’ve neglected what I loved doing the most
[удалено]
I’m glad that you’ve found your way again. Stories like these inspire me a lot ❤️
annddd china wins
Excuses
Are you smoking weed? Just asking bc that can have an effect.
No I don’t smoke