THE IMPACT OF TIKTOK ON EMPLOYEES’ ATTENTION SPAN

Purpose: Most studies on the implications of social media are conducted prior to the pandemic, and either pursue a holistic approach to the effect of social media or focus on the effect of well-established platforms such as Facebook. This study investigates the impact of TikTok use on employees’ cognitive functions, specifically their attention span. The study also investigates the relationship between post-pandemic escalated use of social media and employees’ attention span. Methodology: Utilizing a quantitative methodological approach, this study collected data from 211 TikTok users to test for three hypotheses: the negative effect of time spent on TikTok on attention span, the negative effect of emotional connection to TikTok use on attention span, and the negative effect of time spent on social media on attention span. Data was collected using questionnaires and the hypotheses were tested using SPSS software for statistical analysis. Findings: The study provides empirical evidence on the impact of social media and TikTok use on decreased attention span. Findings highlight this negative relationship being an outcome of time spent on the platform as well as the emotional connection to this use. Practical & Social Implications: Findings are of practical implication for employees and the general society in recognizing the impact of TikTok and other social media platforms on their cognitive functions. Findings also provide empirical evidence to organizations for understanding factors influencing their members’ performance. Originality/Value: This study contributes to extant literature in two ways: First, it enriches our understanding of the implications of recent patterns of social media use and fast-paced content for cognitive functions. Second, this research contributes to the wider discourse on the implications of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for the workplace, highlighting the negative effect on employees’ attention span, and potentially their performance.