If I had the ability or power to ban one social media app then I would definitely choose TikTok. This is an app which is very popular all around the world, I don't think this app has done anything good for the younger generation, I feel the generation is more harmed because of it.
At the beginning it felt like an entertaining platform which shows short videos, but as time passed it felt like a loop that people are stuck with. All of the trends started to affect the people's mind and the people’s attention spans got less and less day by day. The mental health has gone restless and even changed how they view reality.
It surely did look harmless because I have seen people making creative videos and have learnt new cultures through it, also laughed at entertaining clips. But I have realized and it got clear that it’s not as innocent as it seems. Like this app is determined to keep users scrolling for hours without realizing how much time has passed.
Just pay attention to the algorithm it got crazy over time as it was showing relatable things which people can relate with and they kept showing more and more, as the time span of the video is short people keeps scrolling for more. Specially teenagers can’t go a single day without checking it.
To be honest it gets harder for anyone to focus on real-life and it can also snatch the attention from studies or even conversations. I was one of them, I couldn't stop scrolling as if I was addicted, I had work to do and I felt like this is the last video I will watch but then it never ends.
Every time I told myself that it's the last time but the minutes shifted into hours without realizing the time. I have used other apps such as YouTube but never felt this much of distraction as TikTok. Nowadays I don't feel the same joy watching YouTube videos, because they are longer and I might speed up the video. So, this is the effect of short clips on TikTok.
After TikTok got viral for short clips, the other apps started to add short clips in their app as well. It's not surprising at all because the companies saw how addicted people can get and now every other app is adding this feature for short clips. Also, people don't put efforts in their videos anymore because people are paying attention to any trash videos and making someone popular who doesn't deserve. The app is promoting some type of content creators who are not suitable for being an idol or having fan base.
TikTok is filled with perfect looking influencers who seems to be leading flawless lives. Like some of them are super rich and consumers are already believing it. Also, everyone has the perfect glass skin and ideal bodies. Watching this can make any normal human being feel insecure and people are accepting it easily, specially the younger ones. They starts to compare their ordinary lives with these influencers, like seriously those unrealistic videos are making people act crazy which can lead them to have low self-esteem.
TikTok also encourages dangerous trends. They always have new challenges every now and then it goes viral within seconds, they are very risky but still many people would participate to grab more views or attention. There are some real cases of accidents only because of these trends. Like people in real life would never do these kind of things but they are only doing it for the trend and to make themselves go viral. Also on TikTok false information can spread easily and that can mislead millions.
Moreover, there are some official statements about TikTok that they are collecting way too much personal data. Many people don't know about it, those who know they still tend to use it.
If TikTok gets banned I think the world would be a lot healthier and people will be more focused for their goals in life. People will lead a creative life and not chase for online validation. Students will be able to focus on their studies. I think the weight of looking perfect for followers and fame would fade a little.
Of course, there are some positive side of TikTok but it is outnumbered by the negative effects. So If I could ban one app forever that's gonna be TikTok. I think many country already has banned TikTok..I don't even have this app on my phone anymore.
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