Kenapa Scroll TikTok 3 Jam Bisa Lebih Capek dari Ngerjain Skripsi?

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Selamat Datang di Hajriah Fajar: Hidup Sehat & Cerdas di Era Digital

📱 Kenapa Scroll TikTok 3 Jam Bisa Lebih Capek dari Ngerjain Skripsi?

Gue pernah niat istirahat lima menit aja. Buka TikTok, scroll lucu-lucuan kucing main slime, terus tiba-tiba udah jam dua pagi. Laptop masih nyala, skripsi masih di kata “Pendahuluan”. Dan kepala gue? Kayak habis nonton konser metal, tapi di otak.

Anehnya, nonton TikTok tuh nggak keliatan kayak aktivitas yang “nguras energi”. Lo cuma rebahan, jempol jalan, ketawa dikit, nangis dikit, terus ketawa lagi. Tapi kenapa rasanya capeknya itu… lebih capek daripada ngerjain kerjaan beneran? Padahal ngerjain skripsi kan logikanya lebih susah ya. Ya nggak?

Ternyata bukan soal “capek karena kerja berat”, tapi capek karena *attention fragmentation*. Alias otak lo ditarik-tarik kayak banner promo di pinggir jalan: “LIAT INI DONG!” “ENGGAK MAU NYESEL KAN?” “INI VIRAL BANGET!” Dan itu terjadi terus-menerus — dalam waktu lima menit lo bisa lihat motivator, makeup tutorial, tragedi, komedi, gosip seleb, resep ayam geprek, sampe curhatan anak broken home. Gimana otak lo bisa ngebedain mana yang penting?

Gue jadi mikir: mungkin kita bukan kehabisan waktu, tapi kehabisan kapasitas buat mikir jernih. Fokus itu kayak sinyal wifi: kadang kuat, kadang ngilang pas butuh. Dan TikTok, sayangnya, adalah microwave buat atensi. Dia manggang otak lo pelan-pelan, sampai lo nggak sadar kering di dalam.

Kita sering bilang “cuma lima menit”, padahal algoritma tahu persis cara bikin lo lupa waktu. Scroll jadi kayak ngemil keripik: satu keping nggak cukup, dan tiba-tiba bungkusnya udah kosong. Bedanya, kalau keripik bikin kenyang, TikTok bikin mental lo kayak perut kosong tapi kenyang angin.

Tapi ini bukan kampanye anti TikTok. Gue juga masih nonton. Kadang malah nyari inspirasi buat kerja dari situ. Tapi ya tetep aja, ada saatnya kita harus ngerem. Bukan karena kita lebih baik dari orang lain, tapi karena otak kita juga butuh tidur… walaupun badan kita belum ngantuk.

Lalu gimana caranya supaya scroll-nya nggak bikin otak meleleh?

1. Tentukan “jam scroll” kayak jadwal makan. Scroll boleh, tapi pas jam tertentu. Kayak dessert — nggak usah dimakan tiap lima menit.

2. Pakai alarm buat ingetin udah lewat 15 menit. Serius. Lo nggak bakal sadar udah sejam kecuali dikasih sirine.

3. Pilih konten yang “ngasih” bukan cuma “nguras”. Lo bisa bedain kok. Yang ngasih biasanya bikin lo mikir atau nyoba hal baru. Yang nguras… ya bikin lo makin anxious tapi lo nggak tau kenapa.

4. Catat isi pikiran lo setelah scroll. Rasanya kayak lebay, tapi kadang pas nulis, lo sadar: “lah, tadi gue nonton apaan aja sih?”

5. Kasih jeda sebelum buka aplikasi. Hitung sampai 10 sebelum lo buka TikTok. Kadang itu cukup buat otak mikir ulang: “emang perlu sekarang?”

Akhirnya, semua kembali ke kesadaran kecil di otak lo: lo pengen ngelindungi ruang berpikir lo, bukan karena lo pengen jadi produktif, tapi karena lo pengen tetap waras. Gue juga belum jago — masih sering kalah sama scroll dan ghosting to-do list. Tapi setidaknya sekarang gue sadar, kalau capek itu bukan cuma dari kerja. Kadang dari scroll doang.

Lo pernah ngerasa kayak gini juga? Cerita dong di kolom komentar. Siapa tahu, capek lo juga butuh temen.

Welcome to Hajriah Fajar: Living Smart & Healthy in the Digital Age

📱 Why Scrolling TikTok for 3 Hours Feels Worse Than Writing a Thesis

I once told myself I’d take a “five-minute break.” Opened TikTok, laughed at a cat playing with slime, and suddenly—it was 2 AM. My laptop still open, thesis stuck at “Introduction,” and my brain? Felt like it just survived a metal concert.

Weirdly, TikTok doesn’t look like something that should “drain your energy.” You’re just lying down, thumb moving, laughing a bit, crying a bit, laughing again. But somehow, it feels more exhausting than actually doing real work. Writing a thesis is objectively harder, right?

Turns out, it’s not about physical exhaustion. It’s about *attention fragmentation*. Your brain gets pulled in every direction like those chaotic street banners: “LOOK AT THIS!” “DON’T MISS THIS!” “THIS WENT VIRAL!” And it happens nonstop—within five minutes, your brain consumes a life coach, makeup tutorial, heartbreak story, memes, celebrity gossip, chicken recipes, and someone trauma-dumping in the dark. Your mind can’t tell what matters anymore.

I realized: maybe we’re not running out of time. We’re running out of clarity. Focus is like Wi-Fi signal—strong one moment, gone when you need it most. And TikTok, sadly, is a microwave for attention. It cooks your brain slowly, until you’re crisp on the inside.

We keep saying “just five minutes,” while the algorithm knows exactly how to stretch it into an hour. Scrolling is like snacking on chips: one piece isn’t enough, and suddenly the whole bag’s gone. Except chips fill you up. TikTok just leaves your brain bloated with vibes.

But this isn’t an anti-TikTok rant. I still watch it too. Sometimes it sparks ideas for work. But still, we gotta pause—not because we’re better than others, but because our minds deserve rest… even when our bodies don’t feel tired yet.

So how do you scroll without melting your brain?

1. Set “scroll hours” like mealtime. Scrolling is fine—but do it on schedule. Like dessert—you don’t snack every five minutes.

2. Use an alarm to cap it at 15 minutes. Trust me. You won’t realize an hour’s gone unless someone screams at you.

3. Pick content that gives, not just drains. You know the difference. The “giving” ones spark ideas. The “draining” ones? Just leave you empty and anxious.

4. Write down what’s in your head after scrolling. Sounds cringe, but writing it out makes you go: “wait, what did I even watch?”

5. Pause before opening the app. Count to ten. Sometimes that’s enough for your brain to say: “Do I really need this now?”

In the end, it’s about protecting your headspace—not to be productive, but to stay sane. I’m not great at it either—still lose to the scroll wars and ghost my to-do lists. But at least I know now: tired doesn’t always come from work. Sometimes, it’s just the scroll.

Ever feel like this too? Share your story in the comments. Maybe your tired brain needs a friend too.