Two-thirds of active TikTok users prefer TikTok did not exist
Researchers found they would pay $28 to have their community deactivate for a month, yet keep using it.
mondaymorning.substack.com · The Attention ProblemRoughly two in three regular TikTok users say they wish the app had never launched.
Researchers found users would pay $28 for their social circle to switch off TikTok for a month.
Biology helps explain why they stay. Bonding runs on oxytocin, a brain chemical released by touch, eye contact, and long talks in person. A recent paper found texting prompts about as much oxytocin as getting no contact. Scrolling delivers dopamine instead, the chemical signal for more, which prompts another reach for the phone without delivering closeness.
That shortfall matters amid a wider loneliness epidemic. The U.S. Surgeon General compared loneliness to smoking 15 cigarettes a day, with a 29 percent higher risk of heart disease, a 32 percent higher risk of stroke, and a 50 percent higher risk of dementia.
Questions people ask
Why pay for the community to quit instead of just quitting alone?
It is a collective action problem. Leaving alone can mean losing friends, jokes, and news while everyone else stays, so the personal cost feels immediate. Turning it off together removes the fear of missing out.
Do people feel better when they actually stop?
Studies of social media breaks often find small gains in mood, sleep, and time with other people, especially for heavy users. The gains tend to fade if people return to old habits and do not replace scrolling with in-person contact.