When TikTok first launched in the US in 2018, I thought I finally had a replacement for the beloved and missed Vine. But six years later, I ditched TikTok because it has progressively gotten worse over the years.

Here’s a look at why I stopped using the app and why you might want to consider leaving it too.

1Too Much Long-Form Content

When TikTok first came out, it filled a Vine-shaped hole in the social media space. Instagram and YouTube did not have Reels or Shorts for short-form content at that time. People who missed Vine loved how quick and to-the-point the videos on that platform were. If you’re looking to reminisce about Vine, we explainedwhy TikTok succeeded where Vine failed.

At launch, TikTok limited videos to a maximum of one minute long with options for shorter videos, as well. Now, TikTok has expanded the length of videos up to 30 minutes and as of May 2024 it’s testing hour-long videos. This meant that when I scrolled on TikTok, I saw content that looked more like a YouTube video, not videos made for a quick swipe through TikTok. If I wanted to sit and watch a longer video, I’d simply turn to YouTube.

2Constant Ads

Within the past year, TikTok has become a never-ending loop of the same ads. At one point during my scrolling, every other video was either an ad for a curling iron or a hairbrush that claimed to get rid of even the most stubborn of knots.

In the early days of TikTok, ads popped up once every 20 or 30 swipes. I’ve accepted that in exchange for the free service of TikTok, I’ll be forced to swipe through some ads. But every one to four videos? I’d rather just not use the app.

3Too Much Emphasis on the TikTok Shop

Pulling from my last point of contention, there is now too much emphasis on the TikTok Shop. The TikTok Shop cropped up in 2022, allowing users to buy products through the app. TikTok creators can also include a link to a specific product from the shop in their videos for the product, allowing creators to earn a commission from products sold on the TikTok Shop.

Now, in addition to more frequent ads on the platform, there are also videos from creators demonstrating products with links to earn commissions. I’ve seen many people across the app show that they’ve brought a product that didn’t live up to expectations. I’ll stick to buying my products from a store, not a social media app.

4I Was Spending Too Much Time on the App

Sometimes scrolling on TikTok can get out of control. I will admit that in 2019, I’d spend an hour or two each day scrolling through videos. Seeing people go to different places or do different things made me realize I’d rather be doing the activity shown in the video instead of watching someone else do it.

While scrolling in small doses can be productive to help me find new recipes, things to do in the area, or books to read, I find I’m much happier cutting my usage of TikTok.

5Creators Post the Same Content on Other Platforms

Finally, as TikTok continues to put out new features, such as photo posts akin to Instagram, I’ve noticed creators tend to post the same content across all of their social media accounts. TikTok used to be unique in offering short-form videos, but now Instagram and YouTube offer Reels and Shorts which capture the same features. Instead of scrolling through TikTok, I can now just follow the same accounts on Instagram and see identical content.

you’re able to try thesetips to reset your TikTok For You Pageif you still want to use TikTok but don’t like what you’re seeing when you scroll.

While TikTok had its stand-out moment half a decade ago, I think it has started to slip as other social media platforms roll out similar features. Thanks for being there in the beginning, TikTok, but I’d rather see the same content on Instagram with fewer ads and promotions.