TikTok’s Toll: Are We Losing Focus?

If you understand phrases like “skibidi toilet rizz,” “only in Ohio,” or even “gyattt,” you might be a victim of TikTok brain rot. As the app continues to gain popularity, particularly among Gen Z, many high school students find it increasingly difficult to focus on anything beyond these 30-second clips.

TikTok’s allure lies in its personalized “For You Page”, which serves up endless streams of content tailored to users’ interests. Students at the School spend an average of an hour and a half daily on the app. Kaley Carter, a junior, shares her struggle: “Because TikTok is constantly feeding us new information and videos, it makes me find anything longer than a minute uninteresting.” This sentiment is echoed by senior Quattro Reichel, who admits he uses TikTok to avoid awkward social situations: “I don’t have to talk to the people around me.”

Dino Ambrosi, founder of Project Reboot, which aims to foster healthier relationships with technology, offers insights into the effects of this digital overload. He explains, “When you get used to this kind of constant, never-ending feed of new information, it’s really hard to stay present with anything for a long period of time.” The rapid consumption of information can condition users to seek immediate rewards, making it challenging to engage in activities that require sustained attention, such as watching a movie or concentrating in class. Ambrosi elaborates, “If you know there’s a two-hour block of time where you’re going to be on a screen, you could either watch one movie or go on TikTok, where the average video is 15 seconds. It’s no wonder that’s going to have an impact on your ability to focus right.”

Despite the drawbacks, Ambrosi emphasizes the need for a balanced view of technology. “I’m not saying we need to stop using it. We should recognize the good aspects but also become more aware of the not-so-great ones,” he notes. He encourages students to establish better habits, such as moving their phone chargers away from their beds and limiting social media use during the first and last hours of the day.

Ultimately, Ambrosi highlights the importance of community in addressing these issues. “Talking with friends about it, [social media use], and having an accountability buddy makes it easier to change your behavior,” he suggests. By fostering open conversations about technology use, students can work together to mitigate the effects of social media “brain rot”, potentially improving their attention spans and overall well-being. 

Our generation is the first to navigate a world surrounded by social media and technology. As we navigate the unfamiliarity of this new digital age, forming a healthy relationship with technology is crucial in preserving our focus and attention spans.

“TikTok on iPhone” by Nordskov Media is marked with CC0 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/?ref=openverse.