GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — While Friday's U.S. Supreme Court hearing on a potential TikTok ban has more to do with national security concerns than anything else, the app's addictive features can't be separated from the story.
A third of U.S. adults use TikTok, according to the Pew Research Center. Most teens have it downloaded, too. Millions have spent countless hours on the app. Scrolling. Scrolling. Scrolling.
So, what is it about TikTok's design that makes it so addicting?
"The algorithm is the flute. TikTok is the pied piper," says Chris McKenna, founder of Protect Young Eyes, a Caledonia-based organization dedicated to creating safer digital spaces for children and teens.
McKenna says TikTok's algorithm is "highly tuned" to learn its users' interests and deliver bite-sized pieces of content based on those preferences. From the latest TikTok dance to Jahmyr Gibbs highlights to a John Cena mashup, there's more than enough content to go around.
"[TikTok is] a bottomless cup of water for a brain that's thirsty for that kind of content," McKenna said, describing the platform's infinite scroll, which allows users to endlessly play videos without ever having to leave the app's homepage.
Given concerns over national security, McKenna says he is in favor of the TikTok ban.
"I think language here is important," he said. "Can TikTok continue to exist? Absolutely. Just don't do it in a way that it negatively impacts our security as a country."
Michigan
