Apps like TikTok rewire the neural circuitry of our brains to prefer quick hitting, short form content that’s 20 seconds or less.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68556540

Can it be entertaining, and sometimes even educational? Absolutely. Are there side effects? Absolutely.

This is why I still prioritize reading physical books, even though podcasts and audio books are more “convenient.” The discipline and practice of reading a real book forces you to focus. You can’t read a book while working out, going for a walk, or driving on a road trip. And that’s the point. It’s a feature, not a bug.

You have to prioritize reading physical books. You make time for it. It’s not a passive activity; therefore, it’s not efficient. You can’t multitask. Either you’re reading a book or you’re doing something else. And to me, that’s the magic of reading: people who learn to slow down and immerse themselves into something without distraction develop a sort of productivity superpower in their careers. Sometimes it’s better to be inefficient, but effective.

I’ve tried to follow this model in my own life. I have a library of over 2,000 books. I would never trade that for the convenience of listening to books. My discipline has made me a comfortable. I’m not always efficient, but I’m effective.

Years from now, what will TikTok addicts have to show for their devotion?

By this point, I fear many readers are probably rolling their eyes. However, my greatest fear is that apps like TikTok have already desensitized us so much that anyone who wasn’t immediately entertained quit reading before the end of the first paragraph. This is a shame, because they missed out on my Remember the Titans joke. Worse yet, they’re probably missing out on their very lives. This is not a drill.

Almost everything worthwhile in life requires some sort of delayed gratification. Whether it’s saving for a down payment on a house, counting calories to lose weight, or a startup pursuing user growth instead of quick profit, the highest and best version of ourself is only unlocked when we pursue our long term self interest. At the risk of begging the question, the ability to delay gratification is the definition of maturity.

Ask yourself: is TikTok helping or hindering that?

Even insignificant decisions like “should I microwave this mac and cheese or cook it on the stovetop” echo this inescapable reality: faster isn’t always better. Deep down, we know the truth.

Willpower is finite, so I’ve made one simple decision that eliminates thousands of tempting future decisions: no more TikTok.