“None of this is by accident,” Ellison said. “It’s all a design of the product. TikTok has created a dangerously addictive platform that exploits the unfinished reward systems in our children’s brains.”
TikTok uses an algorithm to feed users short-form video content in an “infinite scroll” format that allows them to swipe through content continuously. Ellison said the app’s design can cause compulsive and excessive use to the point that children are “mentally, physically and financially injured.” The platform’s live-streaming feature and ability for users to pay content creators directly, Ellison said, is used to financially and sexually exploit minors.
Research shows compulsive use of social media can lead to increased irritability and anxiety, a higher risk of suicide and disrupted sleep.
Jodi Dworkin, a professor of family and social science at the University of Minnesota, said while social media can help young people connect with friends or people who are like them, algorithms can get teens hooked and lead to “doom scrolling.” Teens’ brains are not fully developed, she said, and are stimulated by scrolling in ways that can make it difficult to stop.
“There’s a lot of risks associated with it that could be better protected by the way sites are developed, by the way young people are using it, by how we teach young people to use it and be critical consumers of that information,” Dworkin said.
“There’s a lot of risks associated with it that could be better protected by the way sites are developed, by the way young people are using it, by how we teach young people to use it and be critical consumers of that information,” Dworkin said.
