To think TikTok ruins your attention span?

[sourcreampringle]

Downloaded and got a little bit addicted to TikTok whilst off work recovering from some surgery with not much else to do. However I’ve now noticed I struggle to stay interested with proper TV programmes and films, thought it was a side effect of my meds interrupting my attention span but now I’m convinced too much TikTok makes you used to those quick little soundbites so I have deleted the app.

I agree. I've told my kids to stay off it.

Yes, I have definitely noticed this. I used to sit and watch films and long YouTube videos without stopping or getting distracted. Now I can’t do that at all!
I had this same conversation with someone recently who said a podcast covered this phenomenon really in depth. I wish I could remember what it was called!

It's all social media and youtube - everything in seconds or minutes and absolutely no requirement to follow a plot or take in detail. If it doesn't get your dopemine firing in 2 seconds, scroll on by. I teach teenagers. The vast majority are utterly incapable of dealing with anything longer than a couple of sentences. Middle aged adults are also affected but we remember life without it so know how crap it is, the younger generation know little different so can't appreciate the shallowness of what they consume. You don't have to consider why you do or don't like it, just click an icon and move on.

I agree as a teacher, more students have short attention spans, increase in ADHD, get bored/fidgety very easily. They don't know how to occupy themselves unless they are looking at content on a screen. Social media is bad in my opinion, but screens in general sap our brain power! It's so easy to just scroll through post after post that requires little thinking, compared to paying attention to a film, reading a book, having a conversation, doing a crossword etc. Even I'm guilty of it, after work I love playing on my phone for a bit just to 'switch off' because it doesn't require my brain!