The morning routine of TikTok users has become the target of psychologists and psychiatrists, as not only is it considered unattainable by many, but even if it seems ideal, it can lead to burnout.

The “ideal” morning routine on TikTok and Instagram is pretty much the same for most users, each of whom has over 1.5 million views just showing what they do as soon as they get out of bed.

The daily routine is as follows: they wake up around 5 am, go to the gym, return home, shower, get dressed, cook breakfast, do laundry, drink coffee and then go to work. And all this without even 9 o’clock in the morning.

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These “morning routine” videos have become especially popular on TikTok as everyone can see in detail what a stranger is actually doing in their house, which usually has a perfect layout and expensive furniture.

Why do we watch what the other person is doing in the morning?

But why are so many people watching these videos?

Sophia Hukas-Bradley, a clinical psychologist at the University of Pittsburgh, says many people are motivated this way.

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“We are especially drawn to any social media content that feels inspiring and achievable,” she said.

People record all sorts of routines on TikTok. Parents show how they cook their children in the morning. Runners log their morning mileage and healthy eaters post their colorful smoothies.

Jacqueline Nessie, assistant professor of psychiatry at Brown University, says the video can also satisfy natural curiosity. However, they can make young people feel worse.

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“We know from research that some people are much more prone to these negative comparisons and feel bad about themselves as a result,” Nessie said.

She and other psychiatry professors have found that teens and young adults who often compare themselves to others online are more likely to develop depressive symptoms later in life.

However, the “charm of observation” is not new.

Brooke Erin Duffy, an assistant professor at Cornell University, said these videos have replaced the diet and exercise programs we once copied from lifestyle magazines.

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It’s an attempt to “create a routine in life that can feel unpredictable and chaotic,” Duffy said.

That being said, TikTok video research experts stress that the tactic can cause sleep problems for those who copy it.

“There’s nothing wrong with getting up early in the morning, as long as you go to bed early,” said David Cresswell, a psychology professor at Carnegie Mellon University who has studied sleep.

Do the videos you watch make you feel bad?

On the other hand, Emily Weinstein, a Harvard researcher and co-author of Behind the Screens: What Teens Are Up to (and What Adults Are Missing), says reactions to such videos can vary greatly.

The big question is: “When does social media make us feel terrible, and when do we feel good?”

Weinstein said that many who watch these videos begin to compare.

“Some of the videos are really uplifting and inspiring, while others make me feel like an inadequate mother,” she said.

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However, some users have already begun to ridicule the “endless morning routine”.

“Welcome to my super simple and easy diary that makes you feel like you do next to nothing in the morning,” says one TikToker in his video.

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Source: Washington Post.