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By William Lebovics September 3, 2026 6 views

Sam Altman explains why he deleted TikTok despite loving the app, he realized it was too addictive and he lacked the self-control to limit his usage, even when he'd intended to use it just to wind down before bed.

Sam Altman shares why he deleted TikTok despite loving the app, it was simply too addictive to control. A candid reflection on how even the most powerful platforms can override our best intentions.

Questions & Answers

Why did the speaker delete TikTok?

The speaker deleted TikTok because they felt it was too powerful and they didn't have enough self-control to keep it under control. Despite enjoying it in the moment, they recognized it was bad for them and decided to remove it entirely rather than continue struggling with their usage.

What was the speaker's original intention when building the Sora app?

The speaker deliberately got addicted to TikTok while building the Sora app because they wanted to learn from it. They didn't want to build something that would absorb people's time, which is why they studied TikTok's addictive qualities.

How did the speaker's TikTok usage escalate over time?

The speaker initially thought they could control their usage to just 10 minutes before bed, but found it quickly escalated to an hour one night and three hours on a Saturday afternoon. Even when they briefly got it back under control at 5-10 minutes nightly, they eventually decided to delete the app entirely.

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