No one knows what lies at the end of the ever expanding galaxy and no one may ever know. However, the greatest mystery that I have come to ponder is not scientific, rather it is questioning when I’ll reach the end of my TikTok “For You” Page. No matter how far I scroll there seems to be no sign of it stopping. 

Don’t get me wrong, TikTok is a great place to express one’s creativity and decompress after a long day. I have found great communities on the app with creative hobbies like mine, from crocheting to filmmaking. TikTok caters to users’ special, unique and niche interests like no other social media app can. 

Having specialized content available for me to consume at any time makes it so that I would rather scroll than do anything else. TikTok tags along even as I eat, sleep and complete my homework. It sits with me at the dinner table, eats almost every meal with me and sleeps in my bed every single night. 

The TikTok algorithm is tailored for me, draws me in and makes it difficult to break out. I mean, it is called the “For You Page” for a reason. In fact, there is a running joke between TikTok users that come across a relatable video: “This isn’t the ‘For You Page’ this is a ‘This you?’ page!” 

Like any other internet trend, TikTok has spread like wildfire and pulled my family in as well. I cannot count how many times I have walked out of my room to see my dad sitting on the couch watching T.V. and TikTok at the same time. Instead of experiencing all of the things we see other people do on the app, we live vicariously through them. 

While I watch Emily Mariko create delicious salmon-rice meals, I eat a microwaved hot pocket because I don’t have time to make a well-cooked meal. And I don’t have time because I have spent it watching other people cook. It is a loophole. A cycle that millions of TikTok users are stuck in. 

App Annie, an analytics firm, reports Android users spent around 24.5 hours each month on TikTok between 2019 and 2020. That is an entire day’s worth of life experiences we miss because we choose to watch other people live their lives through our tiny phone screens.

Last week I spent five hours scrolling through Ti Tok, according to the “screen time” feature on my iPhone. Within those five hours I could have finished the book I have been reading for three months that I don’t seem to have “time” for. I could have used those five hours to bake the boxed brownies sitting in my pantry for who knows how long. That’s five hours I could have used to finish the 12 crochet projects that I have unfinished, sitting in my closet. 

I am not a micromanager nor do I live a perfect life but I certainly want control over my time. The most difficult part of my TikTok addiction is knowing I am in too deep, but not being able to control it. 

That is not to say I have not made any efforts to reduce my time on TikTok. I have not exactly deleted the app, but I am slowly transitioning out of the addiction. Recently, I have made use of the feature on my iPhone that sets a “bedtime” for me and restricts me from accessing certain apps after 10:30 p.m. I have also created a strict rule for myself to not use my phone when I am at the dinner table, especially if I am having a meal with other people. Setting a screen time limit for myself has also been beneficial, though I admit that– sometimes– I ignore the warning that tells me I’ve spent too much time on the app. 

I have been scrolling through TikTok for three years and I still have yet to see the end of my For You Page. I am starting to realize it is nonexistent. There will always be thousands of people documenting their amazing experiences for me to watch. Instead of feeling like I have lost control of my time, I have taken it upon myself to trade places with the content creators on my screen and search for these experiences myself.