7 Ways To Tell You’re A Little Too Obsessed With TikTok

Now that TikTok has been around for a few years, we’ve moved on from the “TikTok is terrible” vibes and now most of us can agree the app is everything. With one of the best algorithms around, our FYPs are full of exactly what we’re looking for, whether its native dances of Maori TikTok or elaborate shot-for-shot remakes of your favorite ’90s movies.

You get weird looks whenever you dance.

Despite how popular dance is on TikTok, it’s specially choreographed for the platform. All those movements look cool in portrait mode on a tiny cell phone screen, but it’s bonkers in person. If you’re busting out the Whoa whenever someone asks you to dance, you can count on getting some raised eyebrows and snickers behind your back. But hey, you only live once right? You do you, TikTok fiend.

All your hangouts turn into TikTok scroll-a-thons.

We’re at a point in history when our hangout time is precious. Seeing friends in person is a gift…yet it always seems to end with TikTok. You mention something you saw on the app and suddenly you all have your phones out, scrolling through your favorites and sharing them with the group. While this is a fun bonding activity, don’t forget to actually get some eye contact and one-on-one time in. Who knows when you’ll get to do it again?

Your battery’s always at less than 25%.

Weird. Your phone’s battery used to last the whole day and now you barely make it to lunch before having to charge it. What gives? Oh yeah, it’s probably because you’re constantly scrolling through TikTok. Your phone never gets a breather, and neither do you. Cut the thing some slack and open a book or something.

You keep quoting TikToks…and no one knows what you’re talking about.

Even if you’re talking to someone else who uses a lot of TikTok, you might not be on the same “side” of the app. So if you start quoting the “piggy dippin'” or “here comes the boy” TikTok and no one has any idea what you’re saying, it’s a bad sign. After all, you don’t want to forget how to talk to actual people, in person, do you?

You glance at the clock and hours have passed in an instant.

You could have sworn that it was 10PM just a moment ago, but then you looked at the clock and it’s 4AM. You have to be up for work in a few hours. Well, shit. TikTok is like it’s own little time travel device, but instead of going back in time to kill Hitler, you’re just emerging bleary eyed from your TikTok stupor having lost most of the day. Oops.

Your phone is giving you shit for it.

My phone has this area in Settings called “Digital Wellbeing.” It tells you exactly how many hours you spend in an app per day, week, month. If you’ve noticed your TikTok usage and felt nothing but shame, there’s your answer. It’s hard to pretend you don’t use it too much when the proof is right there in 4K.

You can quote the “you should probably stop scrolling” TikToks.

Light users of TikTok might not realize this, but there are TikTok-sponsored videos that pop up after you’ve been on the app for several hours in a row. Suddenly you’re watching someone say, “hey, stop scrolling!” They encourage you to put down the phone and get some fresh air. If you’ve not only seen these videos but you can quote them by heart, it’s time to start taking their advice.