Opinion | I might be too old for TikTok

Mady Dever, Opinions Editor

Over the summer, as my quarantine boredom hit its dreadful peak and the long stretch of summer seemed endless, I contemplated downloading TikTok. I got tired of seeing TikTok screen recordings on Instagram or hearing TikTok drama trending on Twitter and not knowing anything about it. I was frustrated with feeling like an outsider looking in, and for months I was on the fence. Honestly, I probably shouldn’t have been using that much brain power making this decision, but alas, I kept going back and forth. 

However, once May rolled around, my little sister finally helped me create an account. The whole situation felt very reminiscent of me helping my mom create a Facebook or showing my grandma the technological innovations that are emojis. I kept asking obvious questions like, “How do I play the video?” or “Where’s my inbox?” Amused by my apparent confusion, she laughed at my use of the word ‘inbox,’ as though it’s so outdated.

Upon downloading, I didn’t open the application too much, only checking on the latest trends. TikTok felt like a new friend I wasn’t sure how to talk to. But sooner rather than later, I became addicted to watching an absurdly broad amount of content. Seriously, I go from watching Doja Cat dances to chiropractors telling me how to stretch my sciatic nerves – there’s no in between. 

I consider myself to be a good student, a hard worker, someone with passions, dreams and goals in life. But this all goes down the drain as I waste away hours and hours of precious time embarking on the endless scroll of my TikTok feed. I could make this time useful, make a couple videos for an untapped niche market, become TikTok famous and be set for life, right?

But I don’t do that. Instead of monetizing my time like many influencers have utilized the app for, I watch cooking videos, Charli D’Amelio and “Twilight” and “Crucible” edits. Yes, I even went as far as buying her sponsored drink at Dunkin’, and it’s actually really good. Who have I become?

The sad thing is, and I hate to admit it, but I know exactly who I’ve become: too old. With all social medias past – Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram – I was there in the prime of my teens watching as new apps emerged and older generations remained comfortable in the platforms they knew. I’d laugh at people still using Facebook for status updates – how embarrassing. Now, my teen sister laughs at me for using Twitter or LinkedIn. I could tell when adults on Instagram overuse the app’s built-in filters, because we use VSCO. Now, I can’t even begin to understand how to create a TikTok. Do they even use filters? I wouldn’t know. 

I almost miss the simplicity of managing one social media platform. I’d grab my laptop after a long day of middle school, log in to Facebook and chat or video chat with my fellow 12-year-old friends.

Now as an adult, I’m overwhelmed with the amount of content social media offers – a lot of it being information I never even asked for, thanks to ads and “For You” pages. I have over five social platforms I rotate daily, which feels excessive. 

That being said, I’m keeping TikTok around because, honestly, it’s one of the ways I know what’s going on in the world – how I keep up with trends and random stories I won’t find anywhere else. I don’t see myself making my own TikToks any time soon, but I’m surely going to participate in the social phenomenon. Now that I’m this deep, there might be no going back.