Braindead

Why TikTok users are fleeing to other platforms

April 17, 2022

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What's the Cure for TikTok Brain?

The Publish Press

In the 90s it was TV, in the early 2000’s it was the computer, and now it’s TikTok—every generation has a scapegoat for what’s causing our brains to lose focus, consuming our lives, and being a constant distraction.

A study conducted last year by NeuroImage journal showed TikTok’s effects on young adults, finding that those who used the app frequently had a difficult time adapting to non-digital activity where things don’t move quite as fast. Some analysts even say the app’s algorithm poses a social threat, as some users feel like TikTok can read their minds.

“Our growing expectation for algorithms to be more and more curated to our interests directly affects our conflict resolution skills,” Jules Terpak, digital culture analyst said. “People are being trained to be less likely to listen. Hear what they want and if not—next.”

There’s even discourse about how watching TV (the big screen) “feels like self-care” and acts as a relief from the quick videos we thumb through all day on our small screens. 

“There’s rarely a sole approach for any problem, as there tends to be various [approaches] that have the ability to work cohesively together,” Terpak said. In a recent TikTok video she focused on the approach of maintaining our capacity for long-form content, and announced her plans to focus her content creation on YouTube. Terpak grew a strong following over 2020, creating TikToks on work culture and media consumption. 

“Constantly fiending for stimulation messes with our ability to do the hard work, to do the mundane work—and this is the work that needs to get done for growth in life whether it be for wellness, your career, political change—whatever.”

Our Take

For our take this week, we think Jules says it best—

“Dependency is an important thing to take note of when utilizing social media and tech platforms. When you feel like you’re depending on a platform to substitute a feeling, avoid a duty, etc.—be honest with yourself and reevaluate the relationship.

A ‘healthy media diet’ is about being mindful of what you’re consuming in terms of takeaways, and is why curators will play a vital role in this decade and beyond—to make sure people spend their time wisely amongst the unfathomable amount of content we have to choose from. After all, time is our most valuable human asset.”

Sponsored by Mighty Networks

Overwhelmed by This Graphic?

Us, too. As a creator, you already have enough on your plate ideating, producing, and publishing your content. Navigating this mess ^ to build and engage your community? Not what you want.

Thankfully, there’s Mighty Networks—the all-in-one community platform for creators.

On Mighty, you can:

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  • spark connections—members can create their own profiles, start group chats, and send private messages to one another

 đŸ€ CREATOR SUPPORT

Publish Press readers share a problem they're facing and creators and Colin & Samir respond with their advice.

Q: How do you handle the pressure of creating for hundreds of thousands of eyes? I only have about a thousand subscribers and it's already a lot of pressure.

–M. Balzer

A: It can still be surreal, even after putting ourselves in front of the camera for over a decade. But throughout the years we’ve learned a few things:

Establish a concrete idea of who your audience is—and distill it down to 2-3 people. In our case, we think of people who are interested in education, and the business of creators. We’ve found that 100 or 500,000 doesn’t feel different when you only have a couple people in your mind.

Develop a relationship with your lens. For us, our cameras represent the group of likeminded people we just talked about above. We have inside jokes and a certain language that we all speak. In a way, we've developed a sense of comfort with our cameras because of who they represent. Put us on a big TV set with camera crews and we may not be as comfortable and authentic.

Create for yourself. If you’re interested in the content you’re making, you have a built-in instinct for what’s good and what’s not, which will help you stay confident. Elle Mills also shared some good tips with us, like the importance of setting boundaries and protecting your vulnerability.

–Colin & Samir

Facing a creator problem you want help with? Share it here→

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