How TikTok Is Ruining A Generation
A few months ago, I wrote a special issue on Instagram. This time, I wanted to do the same for TikTok, a social network that has seen the most rapid rise in recent years. And which, more importantly, has brought with it a societal phenomenon: TikTokization.
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Productivity
29 mai 2025
8 min
A way to consume content that’s shorter, faster, and increasingly addictive. With, as we’ll see, many consequences.
A Brief History of TikTok
This emoji (💥) really represents its brief history and explosive rise. It’s been a blast in the world of social media. Here’s a quick retrospective:
2014: An app called Musical.ly was created in 2014. It allowed users to make short videos lip-syncing to their favorite songs, like karaoke.
2016: The Chinese company ByteDance launched Douyin (literally “vibrato” or “vibrating note”), a short video-sharing app for the Chinese market in September 2016.
2017: ByteDance launched TikTok, the version of Douyin for markets outside China. At the same time, ByteDance acquired Musical.ly for $800 million.
2018: ByteDance merged the two apps, keeping the name TikTok.
2019: In February 2019, TikTok reached 1 billion downloads, establishing itself as the leader in short video content, offering a variety of music, filters, and effects to encourage creativity and self-expression.
2020: The COVID crisis gave TikTok a huge boost, causing exponential growth during that period.
In 2023, TikTok has:
1.22 billion active users per month worldwide
150 million in Europe
14.9 million in France
In Q1 2023, it was the most downloaded app globally but remains fifth in terms of users behind Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger.
TikTok is clearly the platform with the highest addictive potential. It has an enormous engagement and retention rate. Proof? The average time spent by a TikTok user on the app was 95 minutes per day in 2022.
How Does TikTok Make You Addicted?
Several features of TikTok (which have since been copied by Instagram, YouTube, and Snap, for example) make users highly dependent. It’s a perfect recipe for exploiting the brain’s vulnerabilities.
#1 - No Conscious Choice to Make
Revolutionary at the time compared to other social networks: the second you open TikTok, you’re right in the content feed. No need to choose whom to follow or what to search.
You don’t even need to click. TikTok skips this step right from the start.
Everything is instantaneous.
You don’t choose anything at all; it’s ease personified (and the most detached form of usage). Once a video ends, another starts automatically. Zero friction to keep scrolling.
#2 - An Algorithm That’s Always More Relevant
Reverse engineering how TikTok algorithm works. It learns what you like from your very first use of the app and leverages that learning.
With each video you watch, TikTok learns something about you. Every interaction is analyzed—likes, time spent, shares—to categorize you and present increasingly targeted content.
And in doing so, it serves up videos that will trigger your reward system. Within hours, the algorithm detects your musical tastes, sexual orientation, mental health, and sense of humor. It’s a vicious cycle: you help social media learn to know you better and capture your attention more effectively.
#3 - The Random Reward
B.F. Skinner, a pioneer in behavioral psychology, showed that “intermittent reinforcement” is the most addictive mechanism. It’s the following situation: you stumble upon interesting content, but not always, and in an unpredictable way.
The uncertainty this mechanism creates releases small doses of dopamine each time you find something interesting. This intermittent release of dopamine creates a powerful, endless loop.
We want to relive that feeling of reward, so we keep scrolling, hoping to find the next “dopaminergic” content. It’s a real hack of our reward system, driving us to repeat the behavior.
It’s exactly like slot machines in casinos. It’s the hope of winning that keeps us playing. 🎰.
#4 - Short, Vertical Content
With such short content (between 15 seconds and 2 minutes), TikTok can easily slip into every little moment of boredom or inaction.
The brevity of the videos lets us constantly switch topics, never allowing our brain to linger longer than necessary. Always satisfying our need for novelty.
As a result, we never experience the feeling of boredom that makes us consider closing the app and opening something else.
The vertical format is made for and perfect for use on smartphones. These four characteristics are some of what makes TikTok a true vortex for users.
Of course, I’m talking about TikTok here, but its arrival has led other social networks into the TikTokization of content. Like Instagram with Reels and YouTube with Shorts, for example.
A way to consume content that’s shorter, faster, and increasingly addictive. With, as we’ll see, many consequences.
A Brief History of TikTok
This emoji (💥) really represents its brief history and explosive rise. It’s been a blast in the world of social media. Here’s a quick retrospective:
2014: An app called Musical.ly was created in 2014. It allowed users to make short videos lip-syncing to their favorite songs, like karaoke.
2016: The Chinese company ByteDance launched Douyin (literally “vibrato” or “vibrating note”), a short video-sharing app for the Chinese market in September 2016.
2017: ByteDance launched TikTok, the version of Douyin for markets outside China. At the same time, ByteDance acquired Musical.ly for $800 million.
2018: ByteDance merged the two apps, keeping the name TikTok.
2019: In February 2019, TikTok reached 1 billion downloads, establishing itself as the leader in short video content, offering a variety of music, filters, and effects to encourage creativity and self-expression.
2020: The COVID crisis gave TikTok a huge boost, causing exponential growth during that period.
In 2023, TikTok has:
1.22 billion active users per month worldwide
150 million in Europe
14.9 million in France
In Q1 2023, it was the most downloaded app globally but remains fifth in terms of users behind Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger.
TikTok is clearly the platform with the highest addictive potential. It has an enormous engagement and retention rate. Proof? The average time spent by a TikTok user on the app was 95 minutes per day in 2022.
How Does TikTok Make You Addicted?
Several features of TikTok (which have since been copied by Instagram, YouTube, and Snap, for example) make users highly dependent. It’s a perfect recipe for exploiting the brain’s vulnerabilities.
#1 - No Conscious Choice to Make
Revolutionary at the time compared to other social networks: the second you open TikTok, you’re right in the content feed. No need to choose whom to follow or what to search.
You don’t even need to click. TikTok skips this step right from the start.
Everything is instantaneous.
You don’t choose anything at all; it’s ease personified (and the most detached form of usage). Once a video ends, another starts automatically. Zero friction to keep scrolling.
#2 - An Algorithm That’s Always More Relevant
Reverse engineering how TikTok algorithm works. It learns what you like from your very first use of the app and leverages that learning.
With each video you watch, TikTok learns something about you. Every interaction is analyzed—likes, time spent, shares—to categorize you and present increasingly targeted content.
And in doing so, it serves up videos that will trigger your reward system. Within hours, the algorithm detects your musical tastes, sexual orientation, mental health, and sense of humor. It’s a vicious cycle: you help social media learn to know you better and capture your attention more effectively.
#3 - The Random Reward
B.F. Skinner, a pioneer in behavioral psychology, showed that “intermittent reinforcement” is the most addictive mechanism. It’s the following situation: you stumble upon interesting content, but not always, and in an unpredictable way.
The uncertainty this mechanism creates releases small doses of dopamine each time you find something interesting. This intermittent release of dopamine creates a powerful, endless loop.
We want to relive that feeling of reward, so we keep scrolling, hoping to find the next “dopaminergic” content. It’s a real hack of our reward system, driving us to repeat the behavior.
It’s exactly like slot machines in casinos. It’s the hope of winning that keeps us playing. 🎰.
#4 - Short, Vertical Content
With such short content (between 15 seconds and 2 minutes), TikTok can easily slip into every little moment of boredom or inaction.
The brevity of the videos lets us constantly switch topics, never allowing our brain to linger longer than necessary. Always satisfying our need for novelty.
As a result, we never experience the feeling of boredom that makes us consider closing the app and opening something else.
The vertical format is made for and perfect for use on smartphones. These four characteristics are some of what makes TikTok a true vortex for users.
Of course, I’m talking about TikTok here, but its arrival has led other social networks into the TikTokization of content. Like Instagram with Reels and YouTube with Shorts, for example.
A way to consume content that’s shorter, faster, and increasingly addictive. With, as we’ll see, many consequences.
A Brief History of TikTok
This emoji (💥) really represents its brief history and explosive rise. It’s been a blast in the world of social media. Here’s a quick retrospective:
2014: An app called Musical.ly was created in 2014. It allowed users to make short videos lip-syncing to their favorite songs, like karaoke.
2016: The Chinese company ByteDance launched Douyin (literally “vibrato” or “vibrating note”), a short video-sharing app for the Chinese market in September 2016.
2017: ByteDance launched TikTok, the version of Douyin for markets outside China. At the same time, ByteDance acquired Musical.ly for $800 million.
2018: ByteDance merged the two apps, keeping the name TikTok.
2019: In February 2019, TikTok reached 1 billion downloads, establishing itself as the leader in short video content, offering a variety of music, filters, and effects to encourage creativity and self-expression.
2020: The COVID crisis gave TikTok a huge boost, causing exponential growth during that period.
In 2023, TikTok has:
1.22 billion active users per month worldwide
150 million in Europe
14.9 million in France
In Q1 2023, it was the most downloaded app globally but remains fifth in terms of users behind Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger.
TikTok is clearly the platform with the highest addictive potential. It has an enormous engagement and retention rate. Proof? The average time spent by a TikTok user on the app was 95 minutes per day in 2022.
How Does TikTok Make You Addicted?
Several features of TikTok (which have since been copied by Instagram, YouTube, and Snap, for example) make users highly dependent. It’s a perfect recipe for exploiting the brain’s vulnerabilities.
#1 - No Conscious Choice to Make
Revolutionary at the time compared to other social networks: the second you open TikTok, you’re right in the content feed. No need to choose whom to follow or what to search.
You don’t even need to click. TikTok skips this step right from the start.
Everything is instantaneous.
You don’t choose anything at all; it’s ease personified (and the most detached form of usage). Once a video ends, another starts automatically. Zero friction to keep scrolling.
#2 - An Algorithm That’s Always More Relevant
Reverse engineering how TikTok algorithm works. It learns what you like from your very first use of the app and leverages that learning.
With each video you watch, TikTok learns something about you. Every interaction is analyzed—likes, time spent, shares—to categorize you and present increasingly targeted content.
And in doing so, it serves up videos that will trigger your reward system. Within hours, the algorithm detects your musical tastes, sexual orientation, mental health, and sense of humor. It’s a vicious cycle: you help social media learn to know you better and capture your attention more effectively.
#3 - The Random Reward
B.F. Skinner, a pioneer in behavioral psychology, showed that “intermittent reinforcement” is the most addictive mechanism. It’s the following situation: you stumble upon interesting content, but not always, and in an unpredictable way.
The uncertainty this mechanism creates releases small doses of dopamine each time you find something interesting. This intermittent release of dopamine creates a powerful, endless loop.
We want to relive that feeling of reward, so we keep scrolling, hoping to find the next “dopaminergic” content. It’s a real hack of our reward system, driving us to repeat the behavior.
It’s exactly like slot machines in casinos. It’s the hope of winning that keeps us playing. 🎰.
#4 - Short, Vertical Content
With such short content (between 15 seconds and 2 minutes), TikTok can easily slip into every little moment of boredom or inaction.
The brevity of the videos lets us constantly switch topics, never allowing our brain to linger longer than necessary. Always satisfying our need for novelty.
As a result, we never experience the feeling of boredom that makes us consider closing the app and opening something else.
The vertical format is made for and perfect for use on smartphones. These four characteristics are some of what makes TikTok a true vortex for users.
Of course, I’m talking about TikTok here, but its arrival has led other social networks into the TikTokization of content. Like Instagram with Reels and YouTube with Shorts, for example.
Your Phone, Your Rules.
Block apps. Limit time. Grow better habits. Endless possibilities.
Try for free
Your Phone, Your Rules.
Block apps. Limit time. Grow better habits. Endless possibilities.
Try for free
Your Phone, Your Rules.
Block apps. Limit time. Grow better habits. Endless possibilities.
Try for free
TikTokization: A Problem for Your Mind and Future
Our brains were designed to live sixty thousand years ago in an environment with scarce information. Today, they’re faced with a world of sophisticated algorithms and supercomputers.
Dopamine, secreted by the brain to reward us for moving in the right direction, used to serve as a motivational hormone for reproducing behaviors of high value to us.
Social media has changed this paradigm: using them, the brain releases numerous spikes of dopamine.
It isn’t designed to release so much so frequently. These instant gratifications tire out attention.
It makes sense: if we get our brain used to easy, instant pleasures, why would it motivate itself to make concentration efforts?
Accustomed to consuming short, fast videos, we lose patience and struggle to focus on anything longer than an average TikTok. Long and “slow” formats become, for many people, a real challenge.
This decline in attention also drags down motivation and the ability to get mobilized. Engagement in real-world activities that require more focus and patience becomes harder
Moreover, this high and frequent level of dopamine release creates a vicious circle: we’ll need even more to reach the same level of satisfaction.
Just like with drugs. That’s the principle of addiction.
It becomes harder to spark enthusiasm for other experiences, especially in the real world, which starts to seem dull. Understanding these brain mechanisms and our reward system helps us grasp the seriousness of the situation.
TikTokization significantly erodes our way of thinking and acting. It also diminishes our ability to concentrate and motivate ourselves to do things that genuinely bring value.
Standing Your Ground
This “TikTokization” of digital content marks a turning point in how media and information are consumed. Short, vertical video has gone mainstream; it’s no longer just a “TikTok thing.”
As mentioned earlier, it poses a major challenge to our ability to manage our attention and time.
A question for you if you use TikTok (or even Instagram):
How much would you be willing to pay TikTok per month to access the app and its content?
If you’d pay less than, say, 20 euros/month, then why do you give this precious time to the app?
The quality of content is shown by the value we assign to it. TikTok’s and other social networks’ real business isn’t providing a platform for our entertainment.
Their real business is to maximize and then sell your attention to advertisers. The platform is just a means to that end.
In the end, we don’t pay TikTok with money but with:
🛏 The sleep we lose
⏳ The time we waste
💪 The motivation we can’t find anymore
🔒 Block Those Distractions
We highly recommend the Jomo app. This app offers over 20 ready-to-use blocking rules, and it's available for free on the AppStore (iPhone, iPad and Mac).
With just a tap, you regain control of your screen time—all without frustration. Two rules are especially key for lasting change: a “Conscious Use” session and an app limit.
"Conscious Use" is a session that continuously blocks your most distracting apps. You can still use them, but you’ll first need to request a break from Jomo, with a time limit for the break. But there’s more! You’ll also need to give Jomo a good reason before accessing the app! Say goodbye to mindless scrolling!
The app limit feature helps manage your overall time on an app. It’s crucial, as it acts as a safeguard, preventing you from losing hours without realizing it. Often, we’re unaware of how much time we’re spending, and it can quickly spiral. What’s great about Jomo is that you can enable notifications to get a gentle reminder when you’re approaching your limit or set intervals (like every minute or longer!) to remind you to take a break.
Today, it’s important to prioritize intention and choose more structured, substantial, and long-form content. On the other hand, it’s crucial to shield ourselves as much as possible from this race for instant gratification. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about being conscious.
Taking back control of our digital lives is a necessary process to regain concentration, attention, and motivation. By recognizing the hidden costs of these platforms, we can make more informed choices about how we allocate our time and attention.
TikTokization: A Problem for Your Mind and Future
Our brains were designed to live sixty thousand years ago in an environment with scarce information. Today, they’re faced with a world of sophisticated algorithms and supercomputers.
Dopamine, secreted by the brain to reward us for moving in the right direction, used to serve as a motivational hormone for reproducing behaviors of high value to us.
Social media has changed this paradigm: using them, the brain releases numerous spikes of dopamine.
It isn’t designed to release so much so frequently. These instant gratifications tire out attention.
It makes sense: if we get our brain used to easy, instant pleasures, why would it motivate itself to make concentration efforts?
Accustomed to consuming short, fast videos, we lose patience and struggle to focus on anything longer than an average TikTok. Long and “slow” formats become, for many people, a real challenge.
This decline in attention also drags down motivation and the ability to get mobilized. Engagement in real-world activities that require more focus and patience becomes harder
Moreover, this high and frequent level of dopamine release creates a vicious circle: we’ll need even more to reach the same level of satisfaction.
Just like with drugs. That’s the principle of addiction.
It becomes harder to spark enthusiasm for other experiences, especially in the real world, which starts to seem dull. Understanding these brain mechanisms and our reward system helps us grasp the seriousness of the situation.
TikTokization significantly erodes our way of thinking and acting. It also diminishes our ability to concentrate and motivate ourselves to do things that genuinely bring value.
Standing Your Ground
This “TikTokization” of digital content marks a turning point in how media and information are consumed. Short, vertical video has gone mainstream; it’s no longer just a “TikTok thing.”
As mentioned earlier, it poses a major challenge to our ability to manage our attention and time.
A question for you if you use TikTok (or even Instagram):
How much would you be willing to pay TikTok per month to access the app and its content?
If you’d pay less than, say, 20 euros/month, then why do you give this precious time to the app?
The quality of content is shown by the value we assign to it. TikTok’s and other social networks’ real business isn’t providing a platform for our entertainment.
Their real business is to maximize and then sell your attention to advertisers. The platform is just a means to that end.
In the end, we don’t pay TikTok with money but with:
🛏 The sleep we lose
⏳ The time we waste
💪 The motivation we can’t find anymore
🔒 Block Those Distractions
We highly recommend the Jomo app. This app offers over 20 ready-to-use blocking rules, and it's available for free on the AppStore (iPhone, iPad and Mac).
With just a tap, you regain control of your screen time—all without frustration. Two rules are especially key for lasting change: a “Conscious Use” session and an app limit.
"Conscious Use" is a session that continuously blocks your most distracting apps. You can still use them, but you’ll first need to request a break from Jomo, with a time limit for the break. But there’s more! You’ll also need to give Jomo a good reason before accessing the app! Say goodbye to mindless scrolling!
The app limit feature helps manage your overall time on an app. It’s crucial, as it acts as a safeguard, preventing you from losing hours without realizing it. Often, we’re unaware of how much time we’re spending, and it can quickly spiral. What’s great about Jomo is that you can enable notifications to get a gentle reminder when you’re approaching your limit or set intervals (like every minute or longer!) to remind you to take a break.
Today, it’s important to prioritize intention and choose more structured, substantial, and long-form content. On the other hand, it’s crucial to shield ourselves as much as possible from this race for instant gratification. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about being conscious.
Taking back control of our digital lives is a necessary process to regain concentration, attention, and motivation. By recognizing the hidden costs of these platforms, we can make more informed choices about how we allocate our time and attention.
TikTokization: A Problem for Your Mind and Future
Our brains were designed to live sixty thousand years ago in an environment with scarce information. Today, they’re faced with a world of sophisticated algorithms and supercomputers.
Dopamine, secreted by the brain to reward us for moving in the right direction, used to serve as a motivational hormone for reproducing behaviors of high value to us.
Social media has changed this paradigm: using them, the brain releases numerous spikes of dopamine.
It isn’t designed to release so much so frequently. These instant gratifications tire out attention.
It makes sense: if we get our brain used to easy, instant pleasures, why would it motivate itself to make concentration efforts?
Accustomed to consuming short, fast videos, we lose patience and struggle to focus on anything longer than an average TikTok. Long and “slow” formats become, for many people, a real challenge.
This decline in attention also drags down motivation and the ability to get mobilized. Engagement in real-world activities that require more focus and patience becomes harder
Moreover, this high and frequent level of dopamine release creates a vicious circle: we’ll need even more to reach the same level of satisfaction.
Just like with drugs. That’s the principle of addiction.
It becomes harder to spark enthusiasm for other experiences, especially in the real world, which starts to seem dull. Understanding these brain mechanisms and our reward system helps us grasp the seriousness of the situation.
TikTokization significantly erodes our way of thinking and acting. It also diminishes our ability to concentrate and motivate ourselves to do things that genuinely bring value.
Standing Your Ground
This “TikTokization” of digital content marks a turning point in how media and information are consumed. Short, vertical video has gone mainstream; it’s no longer just a “TikTok thing.”
As mentioned earlier, it poses a major challenge to our ability to manage our attention and time.
A question for you if you use TikTok (or even Instagram):
How much would you be willing to pay TikTok per month to access the app and its content?
If you’d pay less than, say, 20 euros/month, then why do you give this precious time to the app?
The quality of content is shown by the value we assign to it. TikTok’s and other social networks’ real business isn’t providing a platform for our entertainment.
Their real business is to maximize and then sell your attention to advertisers. The platform is just a means to that end.
In the end, we don’t pay TikTok with money but with:
🛏 The sleep we lose
⏳ The time we waste
💪 The motivation we can’t find anymore
🔒 Block Those Distractions
We highly recommend the Jomo app. This app offers over 20 ready-to-use blocking rules, and it's available for free on the AppStore (iPhone, iPad and Mac).
With just a tap, you regain control of your screen time—all without frustration. Two rules are especially key for lasting change: a “Conscious Use” session and an app limit.
"Conscious Use" is a session that continuously blocks your most distracting apps. You can still use them, but you’ll first need to request a break from Jomo, with a time limit for the break. But there’s more! You’ll also need to give Jomo a good reason before accessing the app! Say goodbye to mindless scrolling!
The app limit feature helps manage your overall time on an app. It’s crucial, as it acts as a safeguard, preventing you from losing hours without realizing it. Often, we’re unaware of how much time we’re spending, and it can quickly spiral. What’s great about Jomo is that you can enable notifications to get a gentle reminder when you’re approaching your limit or set intervals (like every minute or longer!) to remind you to take a break.
Today, it’s important to prioritize intention and choose more structured, substantial, and long-form content. On the other hand, it’s crucial to shield ourselves as much as possible from this race for instant gratification. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about being conscious.
Taking back control of our digital lives is a necessary process to regain concentration, attention, and motivation. By recognizing the hidden costs of these platforms, we can make more informed choices about how we allocate our time and attention.
Credits
This article is a revised version of Edition #17 of the Screenbreak newsletter created by Julien Rousset. With his permission, we're sharing this high-quality content with you today! So many thanks to Julien. 😌
Photographies by Unsplash, Lummi, ScreenBreak and the Internet.
[1] Degiovanni - Comment TikTok monopolise notre attention, Philosophie Magazine, 2023.
[2] Connan - LA TIKTOKISATION DE LA CULTURE, Technikart, 2022.
[3] Caron - TikTok est-il dangereux? La psychologie décodée, Trends, 2023.
[4] Sénat - La tactique TikTok : opacité, addiction et ombres chinoises, 2023.
[5] Gemmoni - Is TikTok Ruining our Ability to be Happy?, NewThinking, 2023.
[6] Waters - Constant craving: how digital media turned us all into dopamine addicts, The Guardian, 2022.
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The Joy Of Missing Out
© Fabriqué en Europe. Tous droits réservés à Jomo SAS, 2025
The Joy Of Missing Out
© Fabriqué en Europe. Tous droits réservés à Jomo SAS, 2025
The Joy Of Missing Out
© Fabriqué en Europe. Tous droits réservés à Jomo SAS, 2025