Forget the inauguration — the top political conversation right now? The TikTok Ban.
The people of the United States seldom agree on anything political, but popular opinion right now shows that a majority of people think the app should stay.
Aside from YouTube and Facebook, no other app has had a success comparable to TikTok. As my Gen Z peers would put it, the app had a ‘generational run.’
TikTok has greatly influenced our generation, the average American spends 55.8 minutes on TikTok a day according to eMarketer analysis.
So, how will it affect us teenagers from day to day? It will possibly help people stay off their phones, but it may also reduce the connection between people.
“I would be on my phone less and my screen time would go down,” Gage Briggs said.
Briggs argues that there are benefits to losing the app but also some downsides.
“There’s two sides to it, it’s not fair or unfair at the same time. There’s a lot of stuff going around saying they are spying on us through TikTok but it’s also beneficial for influencers,” Briggs said.
Natalee Rose, a junior at Lakeland High School uses TikTok and posts very often.
“I feel very sad to lose it because I spend 12 plus hours on it every day,” Rose said, “I’ll just stop posting and keep to myself. Life will be more peaceful I guess.”
Taking over Musical.ly in 2018, TikTok immediately captivated the younger generation. The app was easy to use and the content was set up in a way so the user could scroll through and watch short videos all tailored for their For You Page.
Using algorithm technology, the app was able to refine the content put out based on the users preferences found through their personal data collected while using the app. Many people will say that TikTok can read their brain.
In 2020, the app was the fourth most used social media app worldwide. During quarantine, TikTok was a way for people to connect with each other and help each other through the pandemic.
There are many different instances where TikTok’s influence can be seen in the world.
During the 2024 Presidential Election, both candidates used TikTok as a way to advertise their campaign and get their message to the younger generation. Even the candidates pushing to ban the app used it to their advantage. They would use memes that were trending on TikTok for their campaign to gain support.
Hollywood embraced it and allowed TikTok influencers to attend awards ceremonies and used trends in their television shows and movies.
The real question is why the sudden need to ban one of the most beloved apps in the country?
The government is pushing to ban TikTok due to concerns that the Chinese government is using the software to manipulate content and gain access to sensitive user data through the app. This is a concern because the parent company of the app, ByteDance, is Chinese owned.
Last year, a bill was passed stating that the parent company of TikTok, ByteDance, needed to either sell the company to a U.S. company or they would need to shut down operations in the U.S. by Jan. 19. This bill was passed last year with bipartisan support.
The law states that the app could keep functioning if they changed the algorithm to one created by a company other than ByteDance.
The main argument on the side of TikTok is that the ban is infringing on the first amendment right of free speech. While the argument implies the infringement of the American people’s first amendment right, the Supreme Court disagrees. Due to ByteDance being a Chinese company the Supreme Court ruled that they are not protected under the first amendment.
President Donald Trump has asked to pause the ban until after he gets in office so that he can “resolve the dispute through political means.”
The bill to extend the time until the app is banned has been passed and now there is more uncertainty as to whether or not the app will stick around.
