Why Tiktok Dance Trends Are So Addictive

As far as we're concerned, there should be TikTok support groups for anyone looking to wean themselves off the social media platform. Only if they want to, of course. "The majority of my past winter break was spent on TikTok, up until the moment when the app took its dying breath on my phone," writes Cornell student, Niko Nguyen. "But even when I wasn't scrolling through the endless stream of cringe-worthy 'Renegade' dances and entertaining life hacks I know I'll never use, I started to notice TikTok everywhere I looked," he shares (via Medium).

Even if you don't feel an overwhelming urge to check up on your favorite TikTokers trying out dance trends like Nguyen does. It can't be denied that it feels as if there is a force greater than us to check the app and check it often, but what is it about these dance trend videos that are making them so addictive?

First off, the dance videos on TikTok are trendy and current with the present times. Because of this, users who are watching or recreating the dance immediately feel a sense of social involvement. In addition, the platform's short video reels are able to hold the users short attention span. And oftentimes, users feel an "internal reward" after watching a quick and gratifying dancing video. This "internal reward" is caused by a spike of the feel good hormone, dopamine, giving the viewer an instant dash of pleasure (via The Bridge Chronicle).

Who knew a quick dance reel on a screen could make such a major impact on moods and minds. Well, obviously the people behind TikTok know. On average, users spend approximately 52 minutes a day in the world of TikTok, and the active number of users is more than Twitter, Reddit, Snapchat, and Pinterest. That's not bad for a nearly addictive platform that first launched a mere six years ago in 2016 (via Medium).