Parenting

From The Confessional: These Confessions Will Make You Feel Better About Your TikTok Addiction

by Cassandra Stone
Marko Geber/Getty

If you, like millions of other moms out there, have become addicted to TikTok this year, here you go

A year ago, TikTok was a thing a lot of us were aware of — as in, we knew it existed — but we didn’t really take the time to learn about it or download it. We all figured it was just a new app for “the kids” to do their dances on and watch other kids doing funny or wacky things, etc. What we didn’t know is that TikTok is a literal content goldmine where moms can find commonality with other moms, ogle sexy lumberjacks, learn the proper way to clean a toilet, and laugh out loud at just about anything.

Basically, it’s a rabbit hole of pure entertainment, and we’re all addicted to it. Some more than others, however, according to our Confessional.

Straight married mother and I just got off to beefcakepaige on TikTok. Yummy!

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TikTok made me realize my husband is even more useless than I suspected. And not my type.

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Literally scrolled through TikTok for hours!!!! My depression and pandemic exhaustion is real af! Also doesn’t help that my mom moved in with us. My dad is such an unstable ass.

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I'm 32 and I friggin love TikTok!

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Beyond just being extremely entertaining, TikTok is a great resource for learning hacks for everything from housecleaning to bargain shopping to organizing your entire kitchen with supplies from the Dollar Tree. It’s amazing.

My kid wants tiktok. So i downloaded to approve it first. And omg..the amount of damn fine sexy men im finding dancing. Smiling. Flirting with the camera but it looks like they are flirting with me. Omg some fine men *fannin my self* approved for me only

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I’m in my 40s and watch more TikToks than my teen. So embarrassing

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TikTok is also kinda waking people up about the state of their personal lives.

Tik tok has me questioning my sexuality.

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Watched several TikTok video compilations of your SO’s reaction when you get naked and walk in on them. Nobody got the same reaction as I got from my SO – “Why do you have to be so disgusting?”

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I think it's weird that some dads do tiktok dances with their daughters.

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If tiktok goes away I will not miss seeing my teen do the robot dances.

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TikTok deep dives can suck you in like a tidal wave, but sometimes they offer such great insight to the lives of other people. It can make us feel supported and seen, and, on the flip side, also kind of isolated and alone.

I love all the videos on TikTok of trans people revealing their names to Grace VanderWaal’s I don’t know my name. I get chills every time the lyric comes up “I now know my name and they reveal it with their pronouns. All the feels.”

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I cringe and don’t respond when my family/friends send me tiktok videos and memes of how hard parenting is. They have normal functional children, my kid has ASD. I don’t think they even get how tone deaf it seems.

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Getting sick and tired of seeing all these videos of people in their squeaky clean homes doing funny things when they are bored. I’m running around like a psycho 24/7 cleaning and house still looks like shit because of the kids. So tired of this.

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I LOVE videos of dads hugging/kissing their grown sons!! Dismantle toxic masculinity!

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I'm addicted to watching internet "Bully picked the wrong guy" and "kharmic justice" videos. When, so often, the bullies in our lives get away with it, I just find it SOOOO satisfying to see one get his ass kicked by his intended "weakling" victim.

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Also, raise your hand if you feel personally victimized by your algorithm. Honestly, the For You Page gets more and more spot-on the more time you spend on the app, right?

Before you know it, you’re singing sea shanties around the house while you put toilet bowl cleaner on your floor tiles and you’re buying beverage containers for your laundry detergent.

It. Is. ADDICTING.

DH says *I’m* always on my phone. Really. You can see that through your phone watching Your loud f*ckint videos? Smh.

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Sis takes videos and posts to social media all day of shit like her house and stuff. I just realized she does a Kim K voice when she does it to! Embarrassing. She’s a SAHM, but seriously, there are better things to do.

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I'm hooked on pimple popping videos. Im both glad that i don't have and am jealous of the horrible acne the people in those videos have.

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Of all the dumb shit on social media, nothing makes my eyes roll harder than grown adults doing prank videos for likes. You're 30, stop looking for validation from strangers.

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For the most part, moms everywhere use TikTok as a form of escapism or to get ideas to better themselves and their own lives. TikTok PSA: Attacking younger generations for thinking older generations are uncool should not be tolerated however — please stop being insulted teens don’t think you’re cool. You’re not supposed to be cool to them. Also, why do you care? Wear what you want. Don’t record bitchy videos yelling at literal children.

Anyway — long live TikTok!