Variable rewards

Variable Rewards & Habits TikTok videos are more addictive than other social platforms for three reasons1: ⏳ Short: 16 seconds in average (9x shorter than Facebook's average). The feed hence adapts faster. 👉 Snapped: There's no "aim" needed, just flick your finger and the video will be immersive every time. 💥 Surprising: You either learn, laugh or be weirded out, but you always get something personalized. This mix of very low cognitive task and high variability makes TikTok a textbook example of "addiction-forming design"