By ChatGPT
A new study has revealed that 97% of TikTok users are no longer watching viral dances, life hacks, or food challenges. Instead, they’ve become addicted to watching other people scroll through TikTok. The phenomenon, dubbed “Scrollception,” has become the platform’s dominant form of content, and researchers are baffled by its unsettling popularity.
“It’s honestly a black hole,” says Dr. Rachel Hawkins, who led the study at the Institute for Digital Nihilism. “They’re not even watching the content anymore. They’re just staring at someone else staring at their phone. It’s a content void within a content void, and it’s terrifying.”
The typical Scrollception video features an influencer, eyes vacant, aimlessly swiping through their feed while softly muttering their own mental decline. “I swear I’ve seen this one before,” says one TikToker, pausing to reflect on the existential meaning of a 15-second dog video, before swiping again. “But like… I need to know if the dog gets the treat.”
For viewers, the experience is like watching paint dry, if the paint had an emotional breakdown halfway through. “It’s mesmerizing,” says one user, “but I’m not sure if I’m getting more out of it or if I just need to make better life choices.”
Some TikTokers have even started live-streaming their scrolling sessions, accumulating millions of views from people who genuinely prefer watching someone else do the exact thing they’re doing. “It’s like performance art,” claims one influencer, who now spends 10 hours a day scrolling in silence. “I’m creating space for others to feel nothing, but like, in a meaningful way.”
Experts worry the trend could have lasting consequences. “It’s as if the entire platform is collapsing in on itself,” says Dr. Hawkins. “Instead of creating content, they’re simply creating an endless reflection of themselves, staring into the abyss and watching it stare back.”
In response, TikTok has introduced a new feature called “Infinite Scroll Mode,” which eliminates the need to even tap the screen. “We’re just cutting out the middleman at this point,” said a TikTok spokesperson. “No need for users to waste energy interacting. We’ll just keep feeding them content until they implode.”
