TikTok users reveal the REAL reason why they deleted the ultra-addictive app
TikTok may be entering its flop era as users reveal the reasons why they’re quitting the ultra-addictive app that has seen an explosion in popularity in recent years.
Former TikTok user Keilah Bruce, who found herself constantly neglecting household chores like laundry and dishes, said the app’s creepy algorithm “started reading her mind.”
She stopped using the app last year when content that matched her private thoughts appeared on her feed, the 27-year-old accountant from New York shared with the Wall Street Journal.
For Samantha Rodriguez, 29, the habit of scrolling TikTok before bed took a toll on her marriage as her husband repeatedly took her phone from her hand during the night.
Gautam Mengi, a 27-year-old film school student and PR intern, admitted that his procrastination with schoolwork had affected his grades after spending too much time on TikTok.
Keilah Bruce, 27, who found herself constantly neglecting household chores like laundry and dishes, said TikTok’s creepy algorithm ‘started reading her mind’
For Samantha Rodriguez, 29, the habit of scrolling TikTok before bed took its toll on her marriage as her husband repeatedly took her phone from her hand during the night
TikTok may be entering its flop era as users reveal the reasons they’re quitting the ultra-addictive app that has seen an explosion in popularity in recent years
“It’s one thing to know about you, and another to know you,” Bruce explained the reason she left the addictive app behind.
She deleted TikTok a few times, but continued to download again until October 2023, when videos matching her thoughts appeared on her phone.
On multiple occasions while at dinner with friends, she brought up a funny TikTok video and spent the next few minutes searching for it while her friends sat in silence.
Bruce, who always played the sounds of TikTok in the background while doing other work, was struck by silence when she deleted the app.
She started texting and calling her family and friends more often, and making plans to go out in her free time, she said.
“I’m in a good place now with my friends, my family, my dishes and my laundry. “I don’t want to sacrifice those things anymore,” she said.
Mengi couldn’t stop scrolling through TikTok videos while cooking, watching movies and even taking out the trash.
His roommates “felt disrespected” when he had to watch TikTok on their movie nights, he said.
Gautam Mengi, a 27-year-old film school student, admitted that procrastinating on schoolwork had affected his grades after spending too much time on TikTok.
Several factors contribute to this trend, including misinformation, propaganda, and data security concerns affecting the platform
Mengi also procrastinated on his schoolwork, which led to lower grades due to the excessive time he spent on the app.
After recognizing the impact on his productivity, he deleted TikTok for the fourth time in December 2023. The decision turned out to be successful.
He’s been able to carry two garbage bags, chop ingredients without being interrupted, and watch a movie from start to finish without having to scroll on his phone.
His GPA also saw improvement.
Rodriguez, a 29-year-old who works at an estate planning firm, said, “I was scrolling on TikTok while walking my dogs, and sometimes I would bump into a mailbox or a tree.”
Late-night scrolling had affected her work performance the next day, she recalled.
In addition, her relationship with her husband became strained as she found it difficult to take her eyes off the screen while in bed.
“Cutting the cord was difficult but worth it,” Rodriguez said. Since deleting the app in October, she wakes up refreshed every day.
Like Bruce, Mengi and Rodriguez, many young adults have chosen to leave the app, which has contributed to TikTok’s sharp slowdown in user growth over the past year.
Analytics firm Data.ai shows that the average monthly number of users aged 18 to 24 in the US fell by almost 9 percent between 2022 and 2023
Lawmakers are advancing a new bill that would force Chinese state-owned company ByteDance to divest TikTok or face a ban in the US
Analytics firm Data.ai shows that the average monthly number of users aged 18 to 24 in the US fell by almost 9 percent between 2022 and 2023.
Several factors contribute to this trend, including misinformation, propaganda, and data security concerns affecting the platform.
Lawmakers are advancing a new bill that would force Chinese state-owned company ByteDance to divest TikTok or face a ban in the US
Meanwhile, some users are simply uninstalling the app in their quest for more personal experiences, as Elizabeth Tate, 25, said: “I realized I only have a very limited amount of time on this planet.”
‘There is so much I want to experience, achieve and do. I wasted so much time distracting myself,” she added.
A TikTok spokeswoman said: “TikTok offers a variety of tools, from custom screen time limits to sleep reminders, that are used by millions of people to help them make intentional decisions about how they spend their time.”