TikTok could be entering its era of failure as users revealed the reasons why they are leaving the ultra-addictive app that witnessed an explosion of popularity in recent years.
Former TikTok user Keilah Bruce, who constantly neglected household chores like doing laundry and dishes, said the app’s mysterious algorithm seemed to start “reading her mind.”
She stopped using the app last year when content that matched her private thoughts started appearing in her feed, the 27-year-old New York-based accountant shared. Wall Street Journal.
For Samantha Rodriguez, 29, the habit of scrolling through TikTok before bed affected her marriage, as her husband repeatedly took her phone out of her hand at night.
Gautam Mengi, a 27-year-old film student and public relations intern, admitted that his procrastination on schoolwork had affected his grades after spending too much time on TikTok.
Keilah Bruce, 27, who constantly neglected household chores like washing clothes and dishes, said TikTok’s mysterious algorithm seemed to start “reading her mind.”
For Samantha Rodriguez, 29, the habit of scrolling through TikTok before bed affected her marriage, as her husband repeatedly took her phone out of her hand at night.
TikTok could be entering its era of failure as users revealed the reasons why they are leaving the ultra-addictive app that witnessed an explosion of popularity in recent years.
‘It’s one thing to know about you and another to know you,’ Bruce explained the reason why he left the addictive application behind.
He deleted TikTok several times, but kept downloading it again until October 2023, when videos that matched his thoughts started appearing on his phone.
On multiple occasions, he would mention a funny TikTok video during dinner with friends and spend the next few minutes trying to find it while his friends sat in silence.
Bruce, who always played TikTok sounds in the background while doing other work, went silent when he deleted the app.
He began texting and calling his family and friends more frequently, and making plans to go out in his free time, he shared.
‘I’m in a good place now with my friends, my family, my dishes and my clothes. “I don’t want to sacrifice those things anymore,” she said.
Mengi couldn’t stop watching TikTok videos while cooking, watching movies, and even taking out the trash.
His roommates “felt disrespected” when he had to watch TikTok on their movie nights, he said.
Gautam Mengi, a 27-year-old film student, admitted that his procrastination on schoolwork had affected his grades after spending too much time on TikTok.
Several factors contribute to this trend, including misinformation, propaganda, and data security concerns affecting the platform.
Mengi also procrastinated on her schoolwork, which caused a decline in her grades due to excessive time spent on the application.
After recognizing the impact on his productivity, he deleted TikTok for the fourth time in December 2023. The decision proved successful.
He’s been able to carry two bags of trash, chop ingredients without being interrupted, and watch a movie from start to finish without having to scroll through his phone.
His GPA also improved.
Rodriguez, a 29-year-old man who works at an estate planning firm, said, “I would scroll through TikTok while walking my dogs, and there were times when I would crash into a mailbox or a tree.”
He recalled that commuting late at night had affected his work performance the next day.
Additionally, her relationship with her husband became strained as she found it difficult to look away from the screen while in bed.
“Cutting the cord was difficult, but it was worth it,” Rodriguez said. Since deleting the app in October, she wakes up feeling refreshed every day.
Like Bruce, Mengi and Rodriguez, many young adults chose to leave the app, contributing to the sharp slowdown in user growth on TikTok over the past year.
Analytics firm Data.ai shows that the average monthly US user ages 18 to 24 fell nearly 9 percent from 2022 to 2023.
Lawmakers are pushing a new bill that would force Chinese state-affiliated ByteDance to divest from TikTok or be banned in the US.
Analytics firm Data.ai shows that the average monthly US user ages 18 to 24 fell nearly 9 percent between 2022 and 2023.
Several factors contribute to this trend, including misinformation, propaganda, and data security concerns affecting the platform.
Lawmakers are pushing a new bill that would force Chinese state-affiliated ByteDance to divest from TikTok or be banned in the US.
Meanwhile, some users are simply deleting the app in their search for more in-person experiences, as Elizabeth Tate, 25, said, “I realized I have a very limited amount of time on this planet.”
‘There are so many things I want to experience, achieve and do. “She was wasting a lot of time distracting me,” she added.
A TikTok spokeswoman said: “TikTok offers several tools, from custom screen time limits to sleep reminders, that millions of people use to help them make intentional decisions about how they spend their time.”