It’s so easy for people to fall into the endless rabbit hole of TikTok. The app can make people lose track of time and distract them from completing anything else that was planned to get done.

TikTok is the fastest-growing social media app that updates its users with popular trends, current news, and entertainment. In 2020, the number of TikTok users grew by a whopping 87.1%.

TikTok is a video-sharing app that became common in teens’ lives during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. Teens used this app as an outlet to fill the spare time they had while being trapped at home. 

However, this app continued to gain more popularity after the lockdown and it integrated its way into people’s daily routines.

Frequent TikTok users understand how effortless it is to fall into the temptation of scrolling for hours. It’s a recurring pattern that one TikTok turns into three, and then three to ten, and so on.

The average person spends around 95 minutes a day on TikTok, which totals about 11 hours a week. This could be in one sitting, or it could be throughout the day which takes important time away from many other tasks that could’ve been completed.

As seniors and juniors in high school, these last two years are important because it’s time to begin preparation for the future. Scrolling on TikTok has not only put students behind on classwork but on college applications as well. 

Time management tools are a good way to ensure that people don’t scroll for hours on end. Tiktok encourages users to take a break by incorporating videos on users’ For You pages to remind them that breaks are important.

The videos are about a relaxation app called “Headspace”. The person in the video guides the user through breathing exercises that the app provides. 

“Headspace” is an app that guides people through relaxation methods and lessons. The app is supposed to be used throughout the day anytime people feel stressed out or need a couple of minutes to recollect themselves into a happier headspace. 

Personally, TikTok has been an addiction and has hindered a lot of my progress in school. My total hours watched for one day was up to 5 hours, which is way above the average number of hours per day.

I experimented with the “Headspace” app myself, so I could see if it helped reduce my screen time. I tracked my screen time and incorporated using “Headspace” after school to see if it was truly a good resource.

When I got home from school, I limited my screen time manually through my iPhone to one hour. This gave me enough time to wind down and scroll after a long school day.

Once the hour was over, I sat at my desk and opened “Headspace”. The app was easy to navigate through, and I was able to begin my first 5-minute meditation very efficiently.

The “Headspace” app definitely helped put me into a calm and relaxed mentality before beginning my homework. I felt more inclined to work, and I was able to remain focused on the things I was doing.

The results for that day ended up being more positive than I had expected. Including the hour I scrolled before using “Headspace”, and the time I scrolled after all my work was done, it totaled up to 1 hour and 59 minutes on TikTok that day. 

I was able to drop my screen time to a more reasonable amount and all my work was completed as well. I felt more relaxed doing my work, and I was able to manage the time I spent scrolling.

Although it’s hard to manage time properly, utilizing these meditation apps and time management resources can help people become more productive. People may finally find their way to navigate out of the compulsive TikTok trap.