How and Why TikTok Addiction Affects Academic Performance

 

 

Introduction

Social media has developed into a potent and beneficial instrument that allows contemporary society to engage. However, social networking platforms are becoming very addicting for their users (Yahya et al., 2020). The addictive nature may significantly interfere with users’ everyday commitments in the real world, necessitating a recovery process to overcome the tremendous addiction. Today, there are growing concerns over social media addiction that reduce students’ academic attention span (Yahya et al., 2020). This essay focuses on students with TikTok addiction, discussing how and why such habits lower the learning performance in schools. Lewin’s change models can be applied to understand how students’ behavioral patterns can become an addiction and why addiction to TikTok can lead to lower academic performance. The addiction is likely to affect the student’s time management abilities, leading to reduced focus on academics.

 

TikTok Social Media Platform

Social media can emotionally impact individuals who rely on the platforms for social approval. Studies have shown that TikTok is causing various issues, including addiction, in kids and teenagers (Wojdan et al., 2021). Some of the adverse effects of TikTok addiction include inferiority complexes, superiority complexes, and complexes of attractiveness. The TikTok app, accessible for Android and Apple devices, lets users create short videos to perform various popular songs. These so-called “LipSync-Videos” may be exchanged with other users, downloaded for personal use, commented on, and, of course, accompanied by a “Like.” Not only do people contribute playback videos to TikTok, but they also consume a significant number of video materials (Wojdan et al., 2021). The excessive use of TikTok often leads to addiction and time wastage which is a concern in academic institutions.

Lewin’s Change Model

Lewin’s change model is the most applicable in such situations as it gives direction on interpreting behavioral changes. Kurt Lewin devised a three-step change model for understanding change dependent on manipulating the subconscious mind through changed behavior progressive transforming into the desired habit (Burnes 2020). The model is a practical and valuable tool for comprehending the transformation process. According to Lewin, the change process comprises developing the idea that a change is necessary, progressing toward the desired new level of conduct, and consolidating the new behavior as the norm (Burnes 2020). The model is still frequently used today and serves as the foundation for many recent change models. In the case of the student’s TikTok addition, Lewin’s hypothesis asserts that people can be influenced by constraining forces that oppose driving forces (Burnes 2020). Students may have a strong desire to maintain the status quo, limiting their ability to adapt to proposed behavioral changes quickly.

Once someone develops a social media addiction, their self-esteem becomes dependent on the number of likes or comments they get on a given post. Recent research indicates that social media, such as TikTok, has specific characteristics with other types of addictions, such as drug and gambling addictions (Wojdan et al., 2021). Experts believe that prolonged use of TikTok activates two critical reward-related brain regions, such as the amygdala (Wojdan et al., 2021). Amygdala is located in the forebrain and is a vital part of the feedback mechanism. The brain region is the integrative center for emotional responses, behavior, and inspiration. Teenagers exhibiting addiction-like symptoms may have an overactive amygdale-striatal system, equating the overdependence to a variety of compulsive disorders. Such cases might require a prolonged change to improve their relief from routine disruption.

How Students Become Addicted to TikTok

Gradual Change of Behavior

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The first stage of the addiction occurs when the students’ focus is reduced from studies to excessive social media use. A habit is an ingrained activity performed with little or no conscious thinking. It is unpleasant to break an acquired behavior since a routine is a pattern of action that is done repeatedly. Due to the dopamine associated with TikTok, addicts have problems adapting to changes in behavior. In such instances, old habits, ways of thinking, processes, and behavioral patterns must be thoroughly evaluated to demonstrate the critical nature of change. Communication is crucial throughout the unfreezing stage to ensure that st

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