Opinion: I Deleted TikTok for my Own Well-Being

Five months ago, I deleted TikTok for my own well-being. 

Why? Because I believe that TikTok has had a detrimental effect on today's youth. Since its origins as Musical.ly, TikTok has transformed from a fun fifteen seconds of lip-syncing to a trauma-inducing dumping ground. 

I downloaded Musical.ly on my iPad when I was eleven. I loved making lip-sync videos and coming up with creative transition videos with my friends. Four years later, when it merged with TikTok, the app drastically changed. It became all about comparison. Every time I opened the app, I saw something I didn’t have. Girls were constantly showing off their new clothes, cars, and purses. Every time my face broke out, I’d open the app to someone with ‘perfect’ skin, making me feel even worse. It seemed people online always had something unattainable that I desired. Girls I considered incredibly beautiful would have comments under their posts calling them ugly. I was confused and in disbelief at a stranger’s ability to abhor innocent people over the internet. 

TikTok is also a place where people feel inclined to reveal the most intimate details of their life. Users post their trauma and drama, which results in stress and anxiety for those reading. Humans aren't designed to deal with the weight of the world every fifteen seconds. It’s ineffective as well. Scrolling through an app is not going to solve any real world issues, but only add to them, as it becomes an addiction. 

My work with children has shown me the real world effects of social media. I’ve noticed a drastic difference between children who use TikTok versus those who do not. Those who use the app are more likely to detach from reality. They’re also more disrespectful because they've been over-exposed to negative content, including ruthless and brutal comments degrading people. Being discourteous has been normalized, and the more content they consume, the more inconsiderate they become. 

It is also affecting their ability to communicate. Children get lost in their online world, tantalized by everything they do not have. This disconnect takes away from the importance of human interaction. Scrolling through millions of people’s videos provides a false sense of unity. 

Mental health issues are becoming more apparent in every generation, a huge part of which can be accredited to social media. Going on TikTok when we feel sad or insecure only heightens our insecurities. We frequently forget that people post at their best, and when we’re at our worst, it's not necessarily beneficial for us to compare our lives to online strangers.