Too old to TikTok
Did a friend forward this to you? Subscribe here!
To TikTok -- or Not to TikTok?
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been interviewing alumni and current students from my alma mater about their relationship to social media, both personal and professional. I’ve had fascinating conversations with activists, lobbyists, researchers, social scientists, parents, start-up entrepreneurs, influencers, and regular users. Some of those conversations have made me think that maybe I was wrong to turn away from social media—maybe I’ve thrown the baby out with the bathwater.
As I play around with ideas on what to make of my obsession with talking and thinking about social media (whilst not having much of an online presence at all), I have started to consider that maybe I need to make a comeback. If I want to engage with the question of “How do we live happy and healthy lives in a digital world?”, shouldn’t I be going to the source – to the very apps where people are spending hours a day hanging out, making connections, sharing art, and vegging out?
In 2017, Norbert and I took an extended sabbatical from social media. He never returned. For me, I’ve reactivated my social media accounts. But after the sabbatical, my relationship to those digital communities was forever changed. They no longer had the same hold on me that they used to. I started using them functionally—joining groups, buying/selling/trading stuff, asking questions and gathering info. I created a fake Instagram account (what the kids call a “finsta”) for the sole purpose of viewing photos of my friends’ babies. I guess you could say that I started using these apps with intention, as a tool rather than as a lifestyle choice.
Recently, I started playing with the idea of downloading TikTok and posting videos about having healthy digital habits—a rather conflicting idea, right? But then, the more I talked to people about their relationship to social media, the more afraid I became about falling down the rabbit hole.
“Don’t do it,” more than one person told me when I mentioned joining TikTok. Several people talked about the algorithm and how spot on it is in terms of giving you exactly what you want. TikTok scrutinizes the speed at which you scroll through videos and which videos you spend more time watching. As a result, they amass a tremendous amount of data very quickly, which informs the algorithm and does a fantastic job at showing you things you want to see—which, in turn, keeps you hooked.
We have seen the social media world go from being text-based to image-based and now, with the rise of TikTok and Reels, social media is becoming a world dominated by short-form videos. Several people told me that this type of media is more engaging, more consuming, and more addicting, resulting in even MORE time spent on these apps and attention spans suffering.
I want to help people live healthier and happier lives in a digital world, and yet, what has been my strategy? To withdraw from social media almost completely. Who am I to help people when I am just as susceptible to social media’s addictive algorithms as the next person? Or maybe my vulnerability is a boon rather than a hindrance.
This experience has made me realize that I want to keep having these conversations. I may not have all the answers about how best to live happy & healthy lives amidst this crazy digital world, but maybe I can provide a place for other people to share what strategies have worked for them.
From the Audience: Digital Life Hacks
I just spoke to someone who has programmed his phone to immediately close the Twitter or Facebook app when he opens it. When he opens Instagram, his phone automatically texts his girlfriend that he's on the app. Amazing.
Digital Life Around the Web
I interviewed the author of this short publication: Good Intentions, Bad Inventions: The Four Myths of Healthy Tech. Give it a read and shoot me an email with your thoughts!
If you enjoy this newsletter, please
I also accept monetary support via Venmo, Zelle or Paypal!
Thanks for reading!
