Photo Credit: Me
When I was first assigned the detox project, I was trying to find the easiest app to give up. What do I not use as often so that I won’t miss as much? Snapchat? Tumblr? Something that won’t affect me and disrupt my routine of daily social media use. Naturally, that’s what everyone thinks: what’s the easy way out? But the fact that I thought of social media as part of my regular day and not as a disruption to my day disturbed me a little. So I jumped to the other end of the spectrum and decided to detox myself from the app that is sucking up most of my time: TikTok.
For those who don’t know, TikTok is a social media app whose content is video based. Users can create videos up to 60 seconds long about anything and everything (as long as it fits within the community guidelines). Content ranges from dancing trends to original skits, life hacks, funny moments, undeniably cute pet videos, and lip-syncing popular movie or tv scenes. It’s the new generation’s version of the popular app Vine, and some of the content can be so popular and niche that many people joke that the app is one big inside joke. I find myself quoting TikToks all of the time, and when I do so in front of other people they don’t usually understand where it is from unless they are on TikTok as well.
I’m not 100% sure why I’m so obsessed with it at the moment. I think much of the content is hilarious and innovative, and I’m in awe of those who show off their artistry or share their knowledge on a topic that is dumbfounding to others. There are so many videos, and it’s very easy to keep scrolling for hours. I will watch some people go live and listen in, like I was their neighbor or friend, sitting and taking in a conversation as if I was there in person. Sometimes I’ll wonder where someone has been if they haven’t posted in a few days or feel sympathetic when they mention a death in the family. It’s a whole other world in my 5-inch iPhone screen that I delve into every day.
But I’ve also become a bit uneasy at the fact that I’m on it quite a bit. Does this app really have a hold on me? I knew the answer to that, which is why I decided that it’s time for a little test. The hypothesis I had for myself was this: I’ll make it but it won’t be easy. I’ll be thinking about it and probably accidentally open the app a few times, but I’ll make it.
I decided to do a vlog each day, along with my findings and musings at the end. For all intents and purposes, the vlog part runs until 8:53; from then on is the reflection piece, which is transcribed below:
So it is technically Day 6, the detox is over. I have not gone on TikTok though, just because I’m still finishing this project so I’m going to wait on that. But yesterday I hung out with some friends in the evening and I did not go on TikTok once I really didn’t think about it, which was interesting because usually when I’m with friends to fill the idle time, “I’ll just open it up real quick.” That did not happen, so that was interesting.
I have ended up with 15 notifications, which is a little different than about 3 hours ago when it was at 11, but before that was at 15, so I don’t know if the notifications are purposely doing that to try to entice me or that it’s some kind of glitch or error.
So what does this all mean? What is this- how does this affect me? What does it say about me? Should I be doing something different? Well, I’ll back it up a little bit to this week’s readings. Two different articles from two different women researchers on completely different ends of the spectrum in terms of whether social media is a detriment to society or more specifically, the youngest generation coming through. Now, Jean Twinge is on one end saying that it is completely negative, there is a decline in social interaction, the decline in dating and sexual activity and doing adult things “on time”, whatever that means, and just overall unhappy teens.
Meanwhile, we have Lynda Denworth, who is saying, “Well I don’t know about Jean, but, you know, there’s not really any evidence supporting her stuff” (not a direct quote, just my synopsis).
There is evidence, however, of social media and smartphones not really having such a detrimental effect as some scientists say there are. In fact, she says, it really depends on the person and the context they’re using social media and the smartphone for which when I was reading both, I really resonated more with that because honestly, it really does depend on the individual and what you’re using it for.
For me, I have social media apps for connecting with people, so the usual Facebook and Instagram. I have TikTok for just, you know, looking at content and entertainment. I also have other apps that are sort of like blogs, like Tumblr, where people share their art or videos or GIF sets or musings and connect over a shared interest. And then my most recent app was one called Tandem, which you can connect with someone else around the world. If you’re learning their language and they want to learn English, you can then connect with each other, have conversations, and whatnot. So, it really depends on what you’re using it for.
Now I know what I use these apps for, or at least I thought I did until I couldn’t use the one I’m most addicted to. And that’s when I started reflecting on when those moments were and what was happening. T this is probably one of the things in Dr. Twenge’s article that was interesting. She had spoken that there was a rise in depression and suicide rates and cyberbullying with social media and smartphones; an increase in loneliness. However, what the research didn’t really prove was that smartphone usage caused that.
In reality, at least for me, it’s the opposite. I use the apps to cope with my anxiety or whatever’s going on in the world, so definitely depends on the individual. Though what I’m also finding is that I can’t completely cut it out of my life, like I can’t just cold turkey it like I did in the past five days, because it does make me happy, it’s just a matter of regulating it. You know, each app is created for a certain purpose, whether good or bad, that’s the developer’s prerogative. But these apps are created for a specific purpose. When you start using it for other purposes, that’s when things can get a little murky and you get the depressive tendencies, the anxiousness, the cyberbullying.
I think that everyone who uses social media and smartphones should take a step back and sort of reflect and think, “Am I using this app for its intended purpose? Am I using it too much, am I using it to get away from life, an escape? And can I fill that time with something else, something that’s more meaningful?”
So, this is the segue for Chapter 3 of Cal Newport, where he describes that deep work is meaningful. And the general gist of the chapter is that deep work, once you start doing it, will begin to feel meaningful and your mind wants to do deep work, it wants to remain active. And to find those moments, to find that time to really do it, will be the most beneficial to you.
So here’s my plan- I am going to use TikTok: on the lunch break, right after work as part of like a let me step away workday’s done, let me do something different. I’m not going to look at it right before bed. I’m not going to look at it as a distraction from my work. And I’m not going to look at it when I feel like I need to escape the world instead of dealing with it. Instead, I’m going to try to replace those moments with something meaningful, something deep, and work-related. You know, like nighttime for sleeping and not staying up until 1 a.m. watching TikToks, for example. In those moments when I’m feeling anxious, I can do something to help alleviate it that is not just a distraction from it.
That’s the goal. Whether I get there or not, I’m not sure, but I’m going to try. I guess that’s what matters.
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