E3. Why TikTok is like crack cocaine an interview with PetesBITs

Episode 3:
Dedicated to TikTok users, parents of teens and marketing and comms pros working with young people  - this interview with Pete Judodihardjo aka PeteBITs explains why TikTok is like crack cocaine.

Pete ‘s You Tube channel is highly entertaining and really brings behavioural science to life check it out at  PeteBITS

Key takeaways:

1.    TikTok is highly rewarding.  Our brain has a prediction error mechanism which means we can't predict the level of the reward. This makes variable content rewarding...not knowing (like spinning the handle on a one penny slot machine). 

2.   TikTok has no decision points. Tik Tok eliminates friction points which means we will engage more as we literally ‘don’t stop to think’.  E.g. as soon as you launch the app a video starts (TIKTOK decides!)

 3.  TikTok builds an aggressively simple habit.  A habit is a ‘mental shortcut’, a habit is n automatic behaviour. In other words you don’t feel, you  just act.  E.g. coffee in the morning. The habit TikTok is designed to build is the swipe habit... and it is aggressively simple. Swipe anywhere....again and again.... Which means it is a very simple habit to adopt. 

 4.  TikTok combines the reward with the habit.   The desire for the reward - dopamine hits - builds the habit. Simple, easy and with no switch off button.  

5.     Digital wellbeing is an important issue, nudges can break the pattern. 

 To learn about behavioural science check out Pete’s YouTube Channel and Pete BITS

 To learn more about ‘habits’ read Good Habits & Bad Habits by Wendy Wood  https://goodhabitsbadhabits.com/. 

Thanks for listening.