I watch TikTok in silence. Sound blocking is the way to go.

Watching TikTok is dumb, and I’m not ashamed to say it.

Yes, I actively avoid the main feature of TikTok, but you know what, I know I’m not alone. So for everyone like me, you should proudly reveal your dark secret and be your true self to turn down the volume.

Opening TikTok at full volume is a surprising dive into the cold-blooded whims of the algorithm. One second, you’re dealing with a woman crying in her car over sad lo-fi music, the next you’re watching a dog make a mess of something disgusting. chipmunk voiceover. Even TikToks without music or sounds — like health advocates listing five toxic products YOU MUST AVOID OR DIE — often seem to scream into the microphone as if screaming for my attention like a toddler. At least this is my For You page.

The short form video format alone is highly stimulating in nature. TikToks have a millisecond to grab your attention. So every time I swipe up, I’m filled with nerves it was 11 in a pre-loaded video in action to compete with all the other TikToks doing the same thing.

Turns out there’s a neurochemical reason behind my instinct to make all sounds go away. “The way your brain works, it finds out where it wants to use its resources,” said Dr. Michelle Quist Ryder, social psychologist and CEO of the American Psychological Foundation.

“When you start introducing the brain to stimulants, and you have to go through that kind of adjustment period where you suddenly have to process that, and your brain has to realize that it needs to allocate more resources to that pathway, that’s part of where overstimulation comes from.”

And if you’re already as exhausted as you are, say, technical reporter who he spends eight hours a day in front of a screen writing about artificial intelligence concepts, mentally sorting AI from X, and poring over the fine print of the latest Big Tech product release, you could deplete those resources very quickly.

“Dumb watching is a kind of trade-off, where you’re still engaging in dopamine or serotonin-related behaviors but you’re reducing the amount of stimulation that’s feeding your brain, so we like to get away from that overstimulation,” Quist Ryder said.

The irony in all of this is that when I take a break, I still find myself reaching for my phone and opening TikTok, when the obvious solution is to avoid another brainwave. Why can’t I just quit TikTok?

But as Quist Ryder points out, this behavior makes sense.

“TikTok is a little bit different because it makes you switch your attention quickly,” he said. “So you can be really excited about this video, and then 30 seconds later you’re nervous about this video, and then 20 seconds later, you’re excited.”

That’s the big part. But again, Quist Ryder added, “That can get your brain used to that level of stimulation, so if you’re not engaging in that level of stimulation, then you’re missing out.”

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To be clear, my home does not exist A Quiet Place. I live a life full of noise with music, podcasts, and TV lovingly left behind. And when it comes to TikTok, it’s not like I’ve never been silent. Instead, I start my browsing on mute and turn on the sound when I come across an interesting TikTok. This method serves as a litmus test to gauge whether something really deserves my full attention and protects my mental resources when it doesn’t.

Quist Ryder compares it to the reason why we like to re-watch old shows, shown especially the truth in the stressful times of the epidemic.

“I can still have those feelings, but I don’t have to worry that it’s going to be something I can’t take, or something I don’t want, or just expand those resources to process something new … you can reduce the amount of money you put into it by turning off the noise,” he said.

And I’m not the only one browsing TikTok with endless fun. Needless to say, several Mashable employees have come out of work to admit to their quiet habits, sharing that it’s a great way to wind down the day or tune out unwanted noise.

There are many Reddit contributed posts how to turn on TikTok in silence. Among several similar postsone Redditor it asked: “Is it normal for people to watch social media videos without volume, or am I the only one who does this?” They received 150 votes and enthusiastic agreement, with one commenting that it was “a lot”. Arrested Development GIF.

Statistically, there are more than a dozen of us. Research done by Verizon found that 92 percent of US consumers watch videos on mobile with the sound off. Another study from an advertising company Sharethrough he said 75 percent of those surveyed “keep their phones on silent even when a video is playing.”

Admittedly, many people watch nude videos out of respect for their roommates or because they don’t want to stream the subway with unexpected options on their About page (although some illegal things don’t care about social norms). Some may mute videos on other platforms like Instagram or Facebook, but watch TikTok with sound because it’s on. focused on sound operating system. But I suspect some of it has to do with keeping the audible siege at bay for their mental health.

As I learned from talking to Quist Ryder, some people are very sensitive to noise. See: FoodTok and Misophonia. And he says there’s a productivity component, where younger generations have traditionally been “more used to updating things like TikTok.” But it’s important to note that 74 percent of the 16-24 age group in Sharethrough’s survey said they watch videos in silent mode, and half of that age group watch TV with subtitles. So this isn’t just curmudgeonly millennials or Gen Xers we’re talking about here.

Now that I’ve voiced my quiet preference, it might be time to tap into your quiet power and mute TikTok for the rest of the world to hear. You are not unusual for watching TikTok in silence. Sure, you may be sensitive to noise and mentally stretched, but that’s actually normal.

And if this sounds good to you, my parting words are actually a few tips: You can easily change your playback settings to automatically open TikTok in silence. Just open Settings > Playback and toggle “Turn on TikTok on mute.”

Now take a deep breath and enjoy the sound of silence.