The way I look at my phone is that it is a world within a world. It is no larger than a few inches yet can transport you like a portal. So let me take a step back. There are only so many hours in a day and I am already impeded by many daily responsibilities that take time away from handling the basics, being with family and friends, and taking in the vast physical world around me. It is easy to get lost in the world behind the screen and not be present in our lives in this physical world. I want to ensure the little free time I do have is given to myself and others in my life.
I do not entirely keep myself from the alternate reality of “online,” but balance is incredibly important to me in all aspects of life. So much time can slip away spending it in virtual reality if one does not keep themselves in check. Regarding TikTok, I have heard friends tell me so many times that they spend hours a day on the app, that it keeps them up at night while they endlessly scroll, and that it is straight-up addictive. While I do enjoy some content that I see from that app specifically, I have chosen not to use it thus far, as I already feel consumed enough with the social media I already have.
After watching the TikTok Boom documentary, I was surprised by the level of censorship that has been found with TikTok. It was said in the documentary that “it is becoming a world unto itself…” which intrigued me as I already felt that way. One thing I’ve heard about TikTok that I love, which the documentary reinforced, is how it can connect certain groups of people to others like them and provide that community, even if they don’t have it where they physically are.
For myself, I am curious if I may be able to find a community that I never knew I could have. In the article Teens, Social Media and Technology 2022 it is stated that “higher shares of Black and Hispanic teens report using TikTok, Instagram, Twitter and WhatsApp compared with White teens,” which adds to my feeling that I could find community. Regarding concerns about underage over usage of the app, I appreciate that there are parental locks and time-constraint suggestions in place on the app, for example, “users under 13 that require parental permission to continue using the app after 60 minutes on TikTok in one day,” (Simone Popperl, 2023).
One thing I have noticed from seeing TikTok videos that were reshared on Instagram or YouTube is that teachers seem to be open to participating in students’ videos on the app. In the article Is TikTok The Future Of Learning, it is stated that “TikTok is a powerful educational tool because it is both a learning platform and a social network.” That being said, if we apply Deidre Pike’s Media Literacy test, for the information gleaned from the app to be honest, the element of human integrity is still needed for it to be a learning tool.
Beyond honesty, the independence of TikTok is questionable, as it seems after watching the documentary that there is a great deal of censorship on the app. Regarding productiveness, I feel that the app could potentially pull an individual in both extremes. At the end of the day, social media can be used as a tool or as work in this day and age. In that way, it is very productive. However, if one is using social media and not learning anything, but rather putting off life and responsibilities to sit and scroll through pointless videos, that is arguably an immense waste of time.
Some links to articles I like that relate to this topic:
https://www.npr.org/2021/07/16/1016854764/social-media-balance-relationship-boundaries
https://culture.org/social-media-detox-finding-balance-in-the-digital-age/
Ruby Cayenne 