Siân Maher
With the rise of TikTok and other short-form content, the market for dopamine-driven engagement is becoming more and more saturated, along with our attention spans.
TikTok’s Origin Story
TikTok came to fruition in 2016, emerging in response to the ever-growing phenomena of predecessor short-form content platforms like Vine and Musical.ly.
With Vine pioneering the concept of six-second looping videos and Musical.ly enabling its users to synchronise dances and lip-syncs with popular songs, the exponential growth in creators and consumers prompted the emergence of TikTok.
Combining aspects of both platforms, TikTok quickly gained traction with its algorithm-driven content discovery and emphasis on user creativity. Capitalising on evolving preferences for quick and visually engaging content, TikTok and its parent company ByteDance leveraged innovative algorithms to tailor content to individual users.
However, as time has progressed, many have questioned how this is possible, and concerns for both national and personal security have arisen.
Privacy Concerns
In October last year, former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed concerns about TikTok. He claimed that ByteDance, a Chinese firm, could be acting on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party and using TikTok to access and exploit sensitive data on users’ devices.
Alleging this on the American-owned Twitter, turned X, raises the question of why we assume platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, all with invasive privacy policies, are more secure than TikTok.
“Any other contending site is equally as likely to be functioning as spyware as TikTok”
A congressional hearing back in March saw TikTok’s CEO questioned for more than five hours on the subject. Shou Zi Chew “unequivocally” affirmed that “ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country” in his testimony.
Shortly after this enquiry, classified Pentagon documents circulated on social media channels, exposing the US’s attempts to infiltrate and spy on ally states like Israel and South Korea. Perhaps, the US government first ought to review their own levels of compliance with its tenuous data security laws.
TikTok and data security
TikTok’s privacy policy states that it collects information on users’ location, personal information, keystroke patterns and rhythms, examining how people engage with the platform and the content they view.
They claim to do so to personalise content, improve and develop the platform, and provide relevant advertising services. This, however, is only with the user’s consent upon downloading the application. TikTok asserts that data security is important to them and that measures are in place to protect it.
Despite these rigorous assertions of data protection, the European Commission and the US Federal Government have since banned their employees from using TikTok on their work devices. UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, also hinted that Britain would follow suit.
Comparing TikTok’s privacy policy to its social media competitors, regulations are not all that dissimilar. With Instagram using a much more refined location tracking system, TikTok’s penetrative ability is just about as deep-set as the rest.
The Dopamine Deluge
The news surrounding TikTok’s alleged privacy infringement has distracted us from the real issue: When consumed in a digital world of cheap pleasures and instant gratification, we are losing our grasp on reality.
With just over 1.677 billion global users, TikTok and other short-form content platforms like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Snapchat Spotlight utilise psychological triggers to keep users engaged through algorithmic content recommendations.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter which rises in response to pleasure and rewards. These quick and enticing video-based platforms leech onto our biological networks, such as the dopamine-driven rewards system, to foster addictive behaviours that can lead to a cycle of engagement and, sometimes, a dopamine overload.
When activated, dopamine interacts with various regions of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for decision-making and impulse control; the hippocampus, which controls memory and learning; and the VTA (ventral tegmental area) which influences motivated behaviour in the long and short term.
Not only does dopamine play a vital role in determining movement, memory, and focus, but as one of the brain’s “feel good” chemicals, it also contributes to our overall mood.
TikTok exploits this by generating small reward-like bursts and triggering dopamine release. Through tailored algorithms and the encouragement of interactions such as liking and sharing, TikTok effectively taps into and abuses this complex reward system.
A Societal Attention Deficit
Today’s youth are being magnetised further into this dopaminergic minefield and are none the wiser. The iPad kid has since evolved into the ‘TikTok teen’. As future generations’ brain chemistry is altered at the expense of technological indulgence, we could eventually witness rampant cultural and neurological shifts.
“Our ability to distinguish fact from fiction is also under threat”
The public has already branded the capacity to engage in deep and focused thinking as futile. According to a survey conducted by King’s College London, 47 per cent of the public believe that “deep thinking” is a thing of the past and a stark two-thirds believed that young people’s attention spans are worse than before. Our ability to distinguish fact from fiction is also under threat.
It’s not news that misinformation is commonplace on the internet. However, Ofcom’s recognition of TikTok as one of the fastest-growing news sources in the UK raises concerns for the future of critical thinking and media literacy — this “TikTokification” of today’s youth could have serious consequences.
Repercussions of ‘TikTokification’
TikTok has us in a chokehold, and it’s tough even to recognise it. Will the users of tomorrow remain stuck in an addictive loop of micro-video-induced feelings of reward? It’s time to acknowledge our unlimited access to unearned satisfaction and instead appreciate the smaller things in life, which cannot compete with countless hours of TikTok videos but are nonetheless worthwhile.
When navigating such uncharted territory, it is important to find the balance between embracing the advantages of technology and safeguarding our emotional capacities as humans.
Some creators are encouraging their viewers to switch from “mindless” to “conscious” consumption. The hope is that TikTok users can “master” their attention span to “have control” over their own minds. But, interestingly, the algorithm doesn’t seem to promote videos like these.
@joshczuba Dont run from the problem. Face it.
Others are using the TikTok algorithm to their advantage, choosing to show their viewers different ways to manipulate a selective system to increase interactions and gain a larger audience.
@mino.mp4 Replying to @sigma_mino corecore..? No, I don’t do this for every video because I don’t try to go viral every video. But for my viral-intended videos, I will use this along with my other viral tactics to GUARANTEE the video pops.
‘Give them bread and circuses, and they will never revolt’
The wisdom of ancient Roman poet Juvenal, who famously stated, “Give them bread and circuses, and they will never revolt,” remains as relevant as ever.
This proverb, a reference to the spectacles offered by the Colosseum to distract and appease the masses, draws parallels to the digital age. Today’s proliferation of online platforms like TikTok can be seen as the modern equivalent of these “circuses” — captivating short-form content that keeps the public engaged.
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Featured image courtesy of Solen Feyissa on Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.
Siân Maher
Siân is a passionate journalist from Glasgow. Pursuing a Master's in Multimedia Journalism at Glasgow Caledonian University, she is eager to explore digital storytelling and innovative reporting. As a columnist here at Empoword, Siân dives into the darker side of technological advancements and advocates for a return to grounded living in the real world with "Byte-ing into the Digital Abyss".