**I View TikTok with Sound Off, and I’m Not Hesitant to Acknowledge It**
Indeed, I intentionally steer clear of one of TikTok’s main features—audio. But you know what? I’m aware I’m not alone in this. So, to all my fellow quiet viewers out there, let’s celebrate our soundless tendencies and embrace your unapologetic, mute-loving selves.
Launching TikTok with the volume cranked up feels akin to plunging straight into the unpredictable whims of the algorithm. One moment, you’re witnessing someone shed tears in their vehicle to nostalgic lo-fi tunes, and the next, you’re inundated with a dog creating chaos alongside an annoying chipmunk voiceover. Even clips devoid of music or sound effects—like wellness gurus yelling about the five toxic brands you *need* to steer clear of—can seem as if they’re shouting for your attention. At least, that’s how my *For You* feed presents itself.
The brief video format is naturally overwhelming. TikToks only have fleeting moments to capture your attention, so every swipe unleashes a fresh surge of sensory input, with each video vying to surpass the previous one.
There’s actually a scientific rationale behind my compulsion to mute the audio. Dr. Michelle Quist Ryder, a social psychologist and CEO of the American Psychological Foundation, states, “Your brain determines where to direct its resources. When you introduce greater stimuli, your brain must adapt and process it, which can lead to overstimulation.”
And if you’re already mentally exhausted—perhaps from spending eight hours each day crafting narratives about artificial intelligence or analyzing the latest Big Tech updates—your brain’s resources can get depleted rather swiftly.
“Viewing TikTok on mute is a compromise,” Quist Ryder elaborates. “You’re still participating in the dopamine-boosting activity, but you’re mitigating the volume of stimuli, helping to avoid overstimulation.”
Oddly enough, even when I seek a reprieve, I still reach for TikTok. So why not just stop using it entirely? Well, as Quist Ryder indicates, this behavior is understandable.
“TikTok is distinct in how it consistently redirects your focus with rapid edits,” she explains. “You can shift from feeling exhilarated by one video to frightened by the next, and then cozy 20 seconds later.” It’s staggering, but it also trains your brain to long for that ongoing influx of stimuli. When you’re not immersed in it, you may even find yourself missing it.
To clarify, my life isn’t a soundless sanctuary. I exist amidst sound—music, podcasts, and the television murmuring in the background. And I don’t *always* keep TikTok muted. I initiate my browsing silently and only activate the sound if a video truly captures my interest. It’s my method of filtering the noise and conserving my mental energy.
Quist Ryder compares this to why we enjoy rewatching old television series, especially during trying times like the pandemic. “You can still feel emotions, but without the chance of encountering something overwhelming or taxing. By silencing the sound, you diminish the mental investment required.”
I’m not the only one with this practice. Numerous colleagues at Mashable revealed they browse TikTok without sound as a means of easing into the day or blocking out unwanted distractions.
There’s even an entire community of muted TikTok viewers on Reddit, with various posts discussing how to open the app silently. One Redditor inquired, “Is it typical for folks to watch social media videos with no sound, or am I unique in this?” The post garnered 150 upvotes and considerable agreement, with one user responding with the iconic “there are dozens of us” GIF from *Arrested Development*.
In fact, it’s more widespread than you might expect. A study by Verizon discovered that 92% of U.S. consumers watch mobile videos without audio. Another study from advertising tech company Sharethrough indicated that 75% of individuals keep their mobiles on mute, even when a video is playing.
Naturally, some individuals mute videos out of respect for those around them—whether on public transportation or sharing a space with family. Others may silence videos on platforms like Instagram or Facebook while keeping sound on for TikTok, considering its audio-focused content. However, I suspect many of us mute TikTok to shield our mental well-being from the auditory barrage.
As Quist Ryder pointed out, some individuals are simply more attuned to sound. This sensitivity is apparent in trends like *FoodTok* and the growth of misophonia (a condition where specific sounds evoke emotional or physical reactions). Interestingly, there’s also a generational component: younger individuals are more familiar with high-stimulus settings like TikTok. Nevertheless, even within the 16-24 age demographic, 74% watch videos on mute, and half view television with subtitles. So, it’s not solely older generations opting for quietude.
Now that I