Why do we watch TikTok when we could just watch YouTube?

By · · 4 min read

Why wouldn't you want to find a video that you love with just one search on YouTube, rather than wasting time on hundreds of boring, annoying or horrible videos on a TikTok feed?

There is actually a reason: it's because sometimes scrolling isn't about finding a video you like, or about the videos at all. It's about the ritual of scrolling.

The apps I opened instead

When I first quit TikTok, I found myself impulsively using random apps — calculators, Google Translate, and games I hadn't touched in 5 years. I was also typing messages I knew I'd never send into WhatsApp, pressing numbers I knew I'd never dial into Phone, and looking up apps I knew I'd never install on Google Play.

What I didn't do was what I actually wanted to do:

That's because those things don't involve pressing buttons and constant scrolling.

Decaf coffee, 0% beer… why not "zero" social media?

So I thought — if there's decaff coffee, "zero-nic" vaporisers, and 0% beer, and they all help people quit the real thing, why don't I make a "zero" social media?

But what even is addictive about social media in the first place?

It's called variable reward

It may seem like that's something we haven't figured out yet, but it's actually extremely clear. And Big Tech intentionally add it to social media. It's called variable reward.

It is essentially gambling with time instead of money:

Asking "why do we watch TikTok when we can find something we actually want to watch on YouTube" is like saying "why does anyone gamble if they know they are more likely to lose than win".

So did I build that "zero" social media?

Yes I did! It's already online at chillspace.ai and will launch on Google Play soon.

Even though it doesn't have addictive variable reward, using it still involves pressing buttons, fun posts and hundreds of "likes" — so it gives you the taste of social media without the drug inside it.

Try ChillSpace

All the buttons. All the likes. None of the variable reward.

Open ChillSpace →

Frequently asked questions

Why do we watch TikTok when we could just watch YouTube?

Because scrolling usually isn't about finding a video you love — it's about the ritual of scrolling: pressing buttons, swiping, and waiting for the next hit. YouTube is a search tool; a TikTok feed is a variable reward machine.

What is variable reward in social media?

Variable reward is a reinforcement pattern where the payoff arrives unpredictably. Sometimes you get a video you love, sometimes something boring, sometimes something that ruins your day. Big Tech deliberately build it into feeds because unpredictable rewards are the most habit-forming kind.

How is social media like gambling?

Both run on variable reward schedules. Gambling bets money on an uncertain outcome; scrolling bets time on an uncertain outcome. That's why "just search YouTube instead" doesn't work — you don't gamble to get something you already have, you do it because you're looking out for more. But you normally end up with less.

What is a "zero" social media?

A "zero" social media works like decaf coffee or 0% beer: it keeps the taste — the buttons, the fun posts, the likes — but removes the addictive active ingredient, variable reward.

Where can I use ChillSpace?

ChillSpace is already online at chillspace.ai and will launch on Google Play soon.