Emilie Ackerman

For my digital detox experiment, I decided to step away from TikTok for five days, and I must admit – it was very challenging. The reason I chose TikTok for this experiment is that I noticed it is the social media I am on the most. When I checked my phone’s screen time, I found that my average screen time for the app in a week was 26 hours and 35 minutes. While I found this very concerning, it did not surprise me because, in my downtime, I am likely to get sucked into the endless scrolling that TikTok’s algorithm wants you to get sucked into.

Even though I watch TikTok for entertainment purposes, I am also a creator who talks about YA shows and movies, which made it even harder for me to step away from the app. I am constantly used to posting and checking TikTok to see how my videos are doing, but not being able to do this agitated me. Usually, as I am watching TV, shopping in a store, or just with my family, it is so ingrained in me to open up the app to check it. Checking TikTok always gave a sense of validation that the content I make is actually good, especially when it gets a lot of likes.

Since I could not use TikTok, I turned to other social media platforms to replace it, like Instagram and YouTube. Before conducting this experiment, I found that my average weekly use of Instagram was around one hour and thirty minutes. However, limiting my TikTok use made it go up to three hours. I found this interesting, as I thought it would be higher, but because this was a detox experiment, I tried my best to stay away from social media by distracting myself with other activities. While I felt the constant urge to check social media and TikTok, It pushed me to do things I do not do as much anymore, like draw and go through old photo albums and yearbooks. It also encouraged me to spend more time with family. My mom and I ended up going to a tea room that I used to go to a lot growing up.

By the end of the five days, I realized how much TikTok consumes my time and energy. While I missed going on the app, watching and posting content, I definitely felt calmer and present towards the end of the experiment. The experiment specifically made me notice how I can channel my creativity into other things, like drawing and writing. It also reminded me that there is more to life than what is on your screen. While social media can be a fun way to share things and get inspired, this experiment taught me that it is important to take breaks from it and to set boundaries.