TikTok Addiction: What It Is & What to Do
With over 1.5 billion users worldwide, TikTok is likely the most addictive app on your phone.
Addiction to TikTok happens when the app starts replacing your normal activities like hanging out with friends or enjoying hobbies. It’s not black and white; you might be mildly, moderately, or severely hooked.
Are you addicted to TikTok?
Why TikTok is so addictive
🤖 Algorithm Personalization
The company behind TikTok employs over 110,000 people dedicated to keeping you hooked. They track what holds your attention longest to serve you similar content.⏰ Designed for endless scrolling
The only friction between you and the next TikTok is a simple upward swipe.🚬 Dopamine hits
Fast-paced content is the norm – 50% of users find it stressful to watch a video longer than a minute, and 33% watch videos at double speed.🎮 Gamification
Tiktok runs creator challenges to stimulate new content, while encouraging viewers to purchase coins for their favorite streamers.😈 Dark patterns
The app strategically times notifications to pull you back into scrolling.
SpeedBump: the app to cure your TikTok addiction
Although TikTok has built-in features to control screen time, they aren’t the most effective. Instead, try out the app SpeedBump. It has no conflicts of interest and makes it possible to quit progressively, as going cold turkey can increase withdrawal symptoms.
You can also use SpeedBump to restrict other addictive apps like Instagram, YouTube, or Twitter. Here’s how it works:
When opening addictive apps, set a time limit
If time's up, SpeedBump will annoy you
Take a 15-minute break before next use
Building habits can take weeks. SpeedBump will help you realize when it’s been too long on TikTok, and confirm that it’s you who wants to open it and not muscle memory.
Gain control again now:
Statistics about TikTok
🥇 App with highest average monthly time per user at 34 hours 56 minutes.
Per country: 🇺🇸 43h 53m, 🇬🇧 42h 02m, 🇮🇪 40h 04m, 🇦🇺 38h 51m, 🇨🇦 37h 43m, 🇳🇿 21h 53m, 🇮🇳 5h 23m
🥈 App with second highest number of times it’s opened on average per month at 358.7, behind WhatsApp.
Per country: 🇮🇪 421.6, 🇨🇦 313.5, 🇦🇺 304, 🇬🇧 286, 🇺🇸 268.9, 🇳🇿 240.1, 🇮🇳 93
55.7% of its (advertisement-eligible) users are male ♂️, compared to 44.3% of females ♀️.
The most followed account is Khabane Lame at 162.4 million.
Source: DataReportal - Digital 2025: Global Overview Report.
Recognize the problem and take control
5 hours of screen time at 25 means you'll spend over 15 years of your remaining life glued to a phone (source).
This takes a toll on your mental health and shrinks your attention span to that of a goldfish 🐟.
We believe social media is genuinely useful, but it's too easy to get addicted.
Let us help: we'll give you relevant data to take action and streaks to prevent doomscrolling.
🧑 Stop being a goldfish with SpeedBump
Limit addictive apps
TikTok
Instagram
Duolingo (why tho?)
Limiting in-app features like Shorts or Reels will be added soon. Websites, too.
Build healthy habits
Social media can be useful! Connect with friends without doomscrolling for hours.
Be intentional
The more you want to use, the more you wait before opening. This prevents compulsive behavior without getting in your way.
Easy to use
Don't overthink – trying it out takes 5 minutes. You will get years back.
Effective
You can't extend the session time without breaking your streak.
Affordable
Currently free. We don't have to “maximize shareholder value”.