Among the many concerns about TikTok is the sheer amount of time it devours: the average British user dedicates more than 42 hours a month to watching videos which rarely last longer than thirty seconds. Its status as the most popular social media platform among teenagers adds to the continuing unease over the effects of screen time on young people’s wellbeing and attention spans.
Never used TikTok but I’m well aware of its endless tinny diatribes from being on the bus, and even in my house. This essay by William Davies goes deep on the platform experience from a political angle, and it does nothing to convince me that social media isn’t a curse on society.