Cómo TikTok está afectando el cerebro de adultos y niños / The Psychology of TikTok Brain

Por Juan Ríos – Una de las consecuencias de la hiperestimulación de las redes es limitar la creatividad de los usuarios

TikTok se ha destacado por su propuesta de videos cortos y altamente personalizados que captan la atención de millones de usuarios en todo el mundo. Sin embargo, detrás del entretenimiento que entrega, existe un profundo impacto en el cerebro de adultos y niños.

Marian Rojas Estapé, psiquiatra española, habló sobre este tema en el podcast Conocer, comprender y aliviar, tomando como punto de partida la historia de uno de sus pacientes, quien le consultó que estaba preocupado por el alto consumo que estaba teniendo de esta red social y cómo estaba dejando de lado otros gustos como la lectura.

Una situación que quizás muchos han vivido, dándole un lugar importante a las redes sociales en su día a día por el efecto placebo que produce al disfrutar de contenido corto y personalizado que se va enlazando y no da tiempo para salir por la forma en que atrapa.

“Esto está diseñado para ser adictivo. Lo que hoy en día mueve el mundo es la capacidad de retener la atención del usuario la mayor cantidad de tiempo posible delante de una pantalla. Eso es lo que le interesa a las compañías hoy y no la salud mental”, asegura la psiquiatra.

Qué produce TikTok en nuestro cerebro

Rojas asegura que la clave para que la red social sea altamente adictiva se da gracias a su algoritmo inteligente, que ofrece una experiencia personalizada a cada usuario. El cerebro humano está cableado para buscar gratificación y placer, y esta aplicación ha aprovechado hábilmente este hecho liberando la hormona del placer, la dopamina, cada vez que vemos un video.

La psiquiatra menciona que Sean Parker, cofundador de Facebook, reconoció en el pasado cómo las imágenes y los likes generan un impacto directo en nuestro cerebro, y que TikTok ha perfeccionado esta técnica.

Para explicar este efecto desde el campo de la salud, ella habla de la corteza prefrontal del cerebro que se encarga de la voluntad y de la recompensa, una zona que es muy inmadura cuando se es niño, por eso ellos deben a prender a manejar su atención, concentración y control de impulsos.

Al exponerlos a estos contenidos, ya sean en TikTok, YouTube o cualquier otra plataforma de video, no se les está promoviendo un desarrollo en el manejo de sus emociones y atención, por eso al quitarles el contenido no saben gestionar el estrés, la frustración y la impulsividad.

Una situación que escala a otras edades, porque los jóvenes y luego adultos tienen problemas en la gestión de recompensas. El consumo de estos formatos en redes genera un agotamiento de la fuerza de voluntad y a una mayor dificultad para concentrarnos en tareas importantes fuera de la aplicación.

“El sistema de recompensa es cómo yo me propongo mis metas y las voy logrando. Pero si yo tengo un sistema de recompensa débil, yo necesito constantemente sentir y tener una emoción, me convierto en dependiente de la emoción. Y cuando no sucede esto se frustra con facilidad”, cuenta Rojas.

La hiperestimulación constante que ofrece TikTok también tiene efectos negativos en la creatividad y la capacidad de reflexión. Los momentos de pausa y aburrimiento son cruciales para que el cerebro genere nuevas ideas e innovaciones. Sin embargo, cuando los niños y adultos están constantemente enganchados a la aplicación, se les priva de estos momentos de reflexión y se reduce su capacidad de pensar de manera profunda y creativa.

La falta de pausas entre videos también es un problema, porque esto impide que los usuarios reflexionen y procesen la información que están consumiendo. Un breve descanso entre videos permitiría una gestión más saludable de la información y reduciría la hiperestimulación constante.

Al final, Marian Rojas Estapé llama la atención para que TikTok y otras redes sociales sean abordadas con mayor conciencia y responsabilidad. Pero al mismo tiempo, considera que importante que los padres y educadores se involucren en la educación de los niños sobre el uso saludable de las redes sociales y fomenten la importancia de la tolerancia a la frustración y la reflexión.

También da una serie de tips para evitar todas estas consecuencias negativas, cómo ser consciente de que una red social genera adicción y que al ingresar allí vamos a encontrar contenido que responda al estímulo que estamos buscando, pensar en cuáles son los momentos en los que nos conectamos y por qué lo hacemos, saber que el tiempo que se está invirtiendo en ver videos son minutos que quizás se pierden en hacer algo productivo y, finalmente, entender el efecto qué está causando en nuestra vida y relaciones.

más aquí https://www.infobae.com/tecno/2023/07/22/como-tiktok-esta-afectando-el-cerebro-de-adultos-y-ninos/

The Psychology of TikTok Brain

by Cam Adair – Today’s kids are more distracted than ever and ‘TikTok brain’ is partly to blame. The endless stream of short, fast-paced videos that offer instant – and constant – gratification is leading to shorter attention spans and other negative issues.

This article looks at whether TikTok brain is real and explores how the platform can affect the mental health of young users.

What is ‘TikTok brain’?

The term ‘TikTok brain’ is used to describe some of negative aspects associated with the platform including lower attention spans and increased anxiety and depression. Too much time spent on TikTok can become problematic and lead to addiction.

The social media app has made short-form videos increasingly popular with the optimal video length just 21 to 34 seconds. 1 As a result, kids are struggling to focus on a wide range of activities from reading a book or completing a homework assignment to watching a full-length movie.

So, how does ‘TikTok brain’ develop? It is linked to the psychology behind TikTok and its algorithm.

Is TikTok bad for your brain?

The TikTok algorithm is interest based, so it shows content that reflects what viewers have previously watched – whether they engaged with it or not. Within a short space of time, the algorithm can detect their hobbies and interests, sense of humor, fashion style, music tastes, sexual orientation, political views and much more. This personalized viewing experience sounds harmless but it can push users down a rabbit hole that can reinforce negative thoughts and behaviors, and bombard them with content that is not always healthy.

Every time users watch a video on TikTok, dopamine is released in their brains in a way that mimics the effects of drugs and there is not much that can compete with this type of stimulation. Young people are more predisposed to addiction because their brain development is not complete until they reach 25 to 30 years old.

So, is TikTok bad for your brain? A study investigating Douyin, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok found that personalized videos suggested by the algorithm stimulated the brain’s reward centers more than random videos watched by new users. It also found that brain scans of Chinese college students who watched personalized videos had highly activated areas involved in addiction and some users struggled to control their viewing habits.

How TikTok affects mental health

For many teens, TikTok is a fun way to stay entertained, informed and connected. However, for others sharing and watching videos for hours on end can be harmful to their emotional well-being. Here are some of the ways that TikTok can affect young people’s mental health:

Increased stress, anxiety and depression
A study of high school students in China who regularly use TikTok found that those with addictive tendencies towards TikTok had higher rates of anxiety, stress and depression 2 than those who use the app less frequently.

Can encourage eating disorders
Some impressionable TikTok users are watching and being influenced by content that normalizes eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, Videos such as “What I eat in a day – under 1,200 calories” encourage an unhealthy relationship with food and portray eating disorders as a lifestyle choice, rather than dangerous mental illnesses.

Higher risk of suicide
Research has found that 13-year-old teenage girls who used social media for at least two to three hours daily at the start of a 10-year study, and then greatly increased their usage over time, were at a higher risk of suicide as adults. 3 Whereas, for boys, social media use had no obvious effect on their suicidality risk.

Problematic use and addiction
The impact of TikTok dopamine on the brain can lead to the problematic use and, in extreme cases, TikTok addiction. This can have a range of negative impacts including disrupted sleep, neglected hygiene, poor school performance, family conflict and social isolation.

How TikTok is supporting mental health

As an organization, TikTok is taking steps to promote the importance of positive mental health and balance to users.

Well-being Guide for users
TikTok has produced a Well-being Guide 4 where users are encouraged to share their mental health stories, tips and recovery journeys. It includes a reminder of the platform’s safety and privacy controls which can help minimize negative in-app experiences:

Comments – This feature allows users to decide who can comment on their videos – no one, friends or everyone (the latter option is for users aged 16+ only). It is also possible to switch off comments completely.

Not interested – If you don’t want your child to see certain types of video on the For You page, simply press on the video and select “Not interested”.
Report – It is possible to report any concerning content to TikTok.

It can also be helpful for parents to understand more of the slang on TikTok that users may use.

Weekly digital well-being prompts

TikTok has also announced the introduction of weekly digital well-being prompts 5 for younger users. If anyone aged 13-17 uses the app for more than 100 minutes a day, they will receive a screen time limit tool reminder next time they open the app.

How to reset TikTok brain

character resetting their tiktok brain

If your child is constantly scrolling through TikTok and other sources of cheap dopamine and it is becoming a problem, you may want to help them reduce their reliance on it. Even though they will probably be reluctant to cut down initially, having regular breaks will strengthen the connections in their brain and make it easier to stop again next time.

Here are five ways to manage their screen time and reset their brain:

1. Customize the TikTok app
   You can help your child control their TikTok use by setting up Family Pairing – a tool that allows parents and teens to customize the app for a healthier experience. You can use it to:

Set a daily screen time limits based on guidelines of what is appropriate.
Use restricted mode to limit your child’s access to inappropriate content.
Decide who can send direct messages to your child or turn off direct messaging altogether.

2. Use the screen time dashboard
   TikTok has a screen time dashboard to help your child manage and reduce their video consumption. It shows how much time they have spent on TikTok – with a breakdown of daytime and night-time usage – and the number of times they have opened the app each day.
3. Restrict access to desktop or laptop only
   If your child is still unable to control their TikTok use despite the above measures, you may need to go one step further. Rather than depriving your child of TikTok altogether, you could consider deleting the TikTok app on their smartphone. If they can only access it in a on a desktop or laptop, they will be more mindful of the time they spend scrolling.
4. Have TikTok-free zones
   Agree on places around the home where TikTok is not allowed such as at the dinner table and in your child’s bedroom at night. Good sleep is essential for the brain to work optimally and is important for focus and attention.

5. Suggest screen-free activities
   Engaging in other hobbies, interests and activities – playing sport, going to the park, meeting friends, being creative – can help reset your child’s brain. Here is a list of the 50 best screen-free activities by age for inspiration.

more in original source https://gamequitters.com/tiktok-brain/#:~:text=The%20term%20%27TikTok%20brain%27%20is,problematic%20and%20lead%20to%20addiction.